


Forelsket

by FuwaFuwaMedb



Category: Fate/EXTRA, Fate/Grand Order, Fate/stay night & Related Fandoms
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-23
Updated: 2019-03-16
Packaged: 2019-10-14 20:12:38
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 21
Words: 81,109
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17515214
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FuwaFuwaMedb/pseuds/FuwaFuwaMedb
Summary: There wasn't another woman in the world that could compare to the one at his side. She illuminated the darkness. She defied all expectation. Every time those dark eyes turned his way, he felt his soul lost a little bit more.Sanity was at a loss, his logic meandering into the distance at its side. He could only articulate what was happening in his chest. He could only push the false clones of himself away. She deserved to sit upon the throne in his soul with those beautiful, rebelling eyes drowning him in an eternity of this waterfall of emotion."Come away with me, Hakuno."





	1. Chapter 1

“Hakuno, you need your own room.”  
  
Yet again, Hakuno found herself listening to the same lines, being told the same thing as yesterday. And the day before that. And the day before that.  
  
Oh, and she did need her own room, but they had gone over this before. Rather than agreeing with the woman, Hakuno found herself turning towards the other master and shaking her head. “Gudako, I’ve tried so many times to explain the concept of personal space to them. At this point, they’ve even gotten Enkidu to get upset when I leave to stay in my own room.”  
  
It was true.  
  
Whenever she found that the three Gilgamesh were wandering to the baths and changing for bed, she’d begin to head towards the door. It would be the first time during her entire time in Chaldea that she would finally be able to rest in her own bed.  
  
Then Enkidu would appear, frowning at her.  
  
They would do a nice song and dance and somehow, before the blond king duplicates would return, Hakuno found find herself in his bed, brushing out Enkidu’s hair and listening to him whistle.  
  
For some reason, both Enkidu and child Gil had become rather big fans of whistling.  
  
She was starting to worry that she was a pushover when it came to the men.  
  
“Just try tonight. Don’t go to their room. I could help-“  
  
“I really don’t need you getting on their bad side. Remember when they thought that you had insulted Enkidu?”  
  
Gudako shuddered.  
  
Yes, Caster had taken it quite personally when he had overheard Gudako mentioning strengths and belittling the lancer.  
  
Part of her was still curious as to what had made Gudako fearful of the caster, but she knew it was probably better not to ask. Gudako had come running to apologize, spending a few days with her and Enkidu in order to show her sincerity.  
  
“Hakuno,” Gudako shook her head. “Maybe you should summon another servant.”  
  
“Another?” Hakuno motioned at her collection. Gil Caster, Kid Gil, Archer Gil, and Enkidu; all of whom were waiting and eating at one of the tables. Kid Gil was eyeing Nameless- or rather, Emiya, as he was now called.  
  
Another problem.  
  
Somehow it felt like all she had was trouble with Gilgamesh involved.  
  
“I mean it,” Gudako moved closer, pushing three objects into her hands. They glinted in the light, pointed almost dangerously in places. “These are what’s known as Saint Quartz. The Mage Association gives me these on a regular basis and I tend to try to use them to summon servants. It takes three to complete a circle for summoning.”  
  
“Gudako-“  
  
“Look, at the very least, I’ll find a way to get you in your own bed tonight. You can think about summoning an extra servant while you relax in your room for once in your life. I’m just thinking- it might be beneficial to let the lot of them have some distance. They always boss you around, you know?”  
  
“They aren’t that bad…”  
  
“Your own bed, Hakuno.” Gudako smiled, leaning closer. “Imagine not having to get untangled from Enkidu’s hair or having Archer and Caster argue in the morning.”  
  
This was a good point.  
  
Just this morning, she’d received a good kick from Caster as Archer had called him useless. The resulting fight that came from avenging their master had taken over two hours to complete and had only ended when she had grabbed Enkidu and Kid Gil and threatened to never come back.  
  
“Hakuno?”  
  
“Do you think it would be a good idea for another servant? I don’t think things are particularly bad.” She pushed the saint quartz into the pocket of her robes though, glancing Gudako’s way.  
  
“Think about it. I’m going to tell the men that we’re going to spend time together tonight and you can rest in your own bed. On your own.” She emphasized the end of that before heading towards the group of blond kings.  
  
Now that she was thinking about it, the thought continued to bubble into mind.  
  
Even as she sat down to eat with the others.  
  
Even as she laughed with Enkidu and child Gilgamesh over something.  
  
Even as she wandered back to their room and to the training grounds.  
  
Even as Caster and Archer laughed over the corpses of the skeletons in the training grounds.  
  
Even as she let Nightingale patch her and the boys up.  
  
Even as Enkidu offered to have them all play games in one of the sitting rooms in Chaldea.  
  
The thought persisted, teasing and tempting.  
  
Another servant would be only more trouble, she tried to tell herself as she felt Archer’s arm around her waist. They would want her time and her patience, which was already very thin.  
  
They would demand their own room as well, something she had been unable to manage with the men she already had. Enkidu had climbed into Caster’s bed. Caster and Archer had argued long enough that their rooms had needed to be merged into one. Child Gil had come crawling in, tearing up when the others had almost all asked him to leave. Minus Enkidu, whom had simply held the boy in their arms and looked to her.  
  
Looking up at Archer, she couldn’t say she hated any of her servants.  
  
Despite all the chaos they had been in during their time together, she couldn’t say she even hated having the servants being the way that they were. A part of her thrived because of the attention. She felt like she was a part of something. Overbearing, yes, but it was her home. This place with these idiots, it was hers.  
  
After all that fighting, did she really want to try to change anything?  
  
Archer’s gaze flickered down to hers, the man rolling his eyes a moment before holding his wine glass up for her to drink from.  
  
Because clearly she needed a drink.  
  
The idiot.  
  
“Hakuno?”  
  
All too soon, the peace was over.  
  
Archer looked over at the woman in the doorway, groaning as he released her to Gudako. “Fine, old contractor. You may take her for your whimsical nonsense. Just remember our deal. She comes back at dawn to our chambers.” Those red eyes darkened, “Do not make me come for her.”  
  
Hakuno sighed, turning to head over to Gudako.  
  
“It’s one night, Hakuno.” Gudako murmured, leaning in close. “Just think about it. I’ll make sure the path to my summoning room is available.”  
  
“What are you two discussing?”  
  
“Nothing, Archer!” Gudako wrapped her arms around her before pushing her along the hallway. “We’ll see you in the morning! We’re going to have so much private time!”  
  
“You’re a terribly good liar,” Hakuno murmured to her friend, wandering the hall.  
  
“You have to be.” Gudako shook her head, pulling her along, “Do you know how much I have to lie on a regular basis? I’m lucky I have King Hassan. He keeps me from having to lie too much. Always going on about the same things though. Always complaining that we’re not fighting enough. I swear, it stinks.”  
  
“You can always try to tell only the truth a while.”  
  
“Ah yes.” Gudako laughed. “Sorry, King Hassan. I wanted to take a nap with Dantes for a night. Sure Raikou, you can join, bring the other two but don’t tell Mash. Yes, Mash, I want a harem with the servants because they are up for it.”  
  
Hakuno shook her head as the woman whined.  
  
“It’s horrible, Hakuno. I’m telling you. You and I need to be a team on this. We can do this together. Sleep in our own rooms. Spend time with whatever servant we want.”  
  
“Thank you for letting me sleep alone.” Hakuno pat the other’s hands, pulling away as they approached her room.  
  
Her room.  
  
What a concept.  
  
She moved into the room, looking around blankly at the walls. The bed lay prepared for her, the sheets pulled back in invitation. The dresser had a set of Chaldea uniforms stacked neatly for her in the morning. Not that she would bother, since Gilgamesh and the others were insistent on their clothes for her.  
  
Then again, it might be nice to have a change.  
  
Oddly, it felt a bit hollow to sit down in the room. The walls were so plain. The dresser drawers a stark white and the television in the room so small. There was nothing to say this room was different from any other room in Chaldea. No personal touches. No life.  
  
She didn’t have anything to put in this room either.  
  
It was also quite cold.  
  
She slipped beneath the covers of the bed, stretching herself out.  
  
Maybe this had been a bad plan.  
  
Her hands slipped into the pocket of her robes, looking at the saint quartz that Gudako had given her. In the fluorescent lights, they gleamed temptingly. The sparkles coming off the thing almost could have been like mana circuits all their own.  
  
It wouldn’t hurt to try.  
  
Not really for a servant per say, but to see what the process of summoning a servant was like. Honestly, if she summoned one, she could be like Gudako. She could let them have their own room. She could get away from Gilgamesh and spend time with the other servant. If they were a saber, she would be in even better shape. Sabers would be able to help with fighting lancers, who were often causing Gil trouble.  
  
Yes, she could summon a saber.  
  
Gil couldn’t argue about it either, since that was the trouble they had run into so many times.  
  
“Just a try. Gudako usually doesn’t even end up with servants over half the time, just more mana.” And that mana was usually useful for battles and things like that.  
  
Yes, that sounded reasonable.  
  
With that in mind, she didn’t pay any mind to the hour, hurrying along towards the summoning room.  
  
The mages that had been in this place had been terribly weak, finding that their magic circuits were no longer improving with each line. In their efforts to become better with magecraft and in order to summon servants for wars, they had turned to alternative means.  
  
Great means, obviously, since they had found and harnessed the power of gems known as saint quartz.  
  
She had watched Gudako summon a handful of servants before. Each time, managing to summon greater and greater servants.  
  
Her summoning of Stheno and that blond celt had been really impressive.  
  
Summoning didn’t actually take much energy with the saint quartz involved too. She had wondered what the woman’s secret was and now, seeing the gems in hand, she understood a bit better.  
  
And now it was time to give it a shot.  
  
Just once, just to try things out.  
  
Contracts were simple. It was just her servants that had become absorbed in this idea of contracts being something more than they were. She’d have just one nonserious relationship with a servant.  
  
Or get mana.  
  
She entered the summoning chamber and flicked the lightswitch, looking around at the empty room. A grand ten sizes larger than the other rooms of the place, the room was prepared for the greatest of heroes, heroes of whom were normally of varying size and strength.  
  
In the center of the cold room, a circle lay in wait.  
  
It wasn’t unlike the one she had seen when she had been with Rin and Rani and the others. It was a typical circle, altered for the use of the quartz.  
  
“Come on, Hakuno. Just one try.” She would do this and go straight back to bed.  
  
She’d have to make up a story with Gudako about spending the night with her. The others would want to know what they had done that had prevented her from sleeping in the usual pile with the servants.  
  
I wanted to sleep alone was not a good reason.  
  
The first quartz was odd, fitting strangely in the hole in the floor at an odd angle. The second was similar, making her use a little more effort than necessary.  
  
By the third one, she found herself cursing. Her hand bled out onto the floor, a deep cut now blooming with red as she looked down at it. Why the third quartz hadn't fit well, she'd never know. She wasn't going to stop at this point though. Although...  
  
Blood dripped on the circle, making her pause.  
  
Was this fine?  
  
She had never bled out onto a circle this much before. It was blurring some of the writing on the floor. Not that she could really read the writing on the floor, but…  
  
Quick attempt. It probably wouldn’t work now anyway.  
  
When Gudako had done this, she had settled down at the spot closest to the door, just in case she had needed to run away from a summons. She had pressed her hands down upon the edge of the circle, summoning her mana to use the circle.  
  
Hakuno settled down at the spot closest to the door, just in case she needed to run away. She pressed her hands down upon the edge of the circle, summoning her own mana to use for the summons.  
  
Closing her eyes, she let the circle begin.  
  
The room went dark as the mana messed with the electricity.  
  
The blood in the circle rose, beginning to move around the edges of the circle above her head. She could see sparks beginning to dance around the edge of the circle.  
  
That was a good sign.  
  
Stheno and the others had done that. The more powerful servants always did that.  
  
A sense of excitement took over.  
  
She was actually summoning something. Someone who would be able to fight with Archer and the others. Someone would be able to be a backup to her servants.  
  
Who would it be?  
  
She had read about so many heroes. There were so many opportunities!  
  
A hand reached up from the pathway in the floor, followed closely by another hand. A head of gold- gold?  
  
The greeks had gold hair. It was fine. She was summoning a Greek.  
  
Come on, Saber!  
  
Hakuno paused as a pair of red eyes peered out at her. The being climbed the rest of the way out of the ground with his golden armor. A red cloth framed his legs. The same charismatic smile. The same knowing look in those eyes.  
  
“Your luck’s run out, master. Servant Archer at your service… or should I say your luck need not go further?”  
  
The man simply smirked.  
  
Hakuno leaned back, running a hand over her face.  
  
Archer. She had summoned Gilgamesh archer to her side. How she had done that, she had no idea. And in his odd getup and slightly odd looking… Almost younger?  
  
Of course, she was also still bleeding. Now she needed to wash her face again before bed. Her hands were both bloodied up too.  
  
Gods, she was an idiot.  
  
“It’s bad enough I’m plain, Gilgamesh. I really didn’t need the comment on my luck being said.” Hakuno laughed a little, shaking her head. “I don’t know why I tried. I should just accept that things aren’t going to change.”  
  
Why was she trying to change things anyway? Things weren’t bad. They just-  
  
They lacked some kind of spark.  
  
“Hmm?” She could hear the other moving closer, kneeling down and pulling her hands away from her face. “What do you mean, Gilgamesh? Do you know of me, little mage?”  
  
“I know of you very well,” Hakuno replied, her amusement just that much more. “You could say I dream of you, if you really want.”  
  
The laughter died after a moment.  
  
This wasn’t Gilgamesh.  
  
No. With him closer, she could see a lot of differences. Gilgamesh had a much more mature face. In fact, the man looked her age. Archer would never have let his hair get that unruly either. He complained if his hair didn’t either all stick up or hang down. The getup was weird to begin with, but she had figured he had wanted to surprise her with something else gaudy from his wardrobe. The man truly had no taste.  
  
This Gilgamesh was far different. Those red eyes narrowed, looking her over a moment before pausing on her face. The trademark smirk was softer, as though he wasn’t sure how to manage the classic smirk just yet.  
  
“You… You dreamed of me?”  
  
“I-“  
  
“Oh no, don’t turn your gaze away from me.” The man leaned in closer, tilting her face to look up at his. His smirk fell a bit, his hand moving out of view a minute. “This isn’t right. You covered that face of yours. Do you insist on being hidden from my view so deeply?”  
  
She wasn’t sure what to say to this person. They couldn’t be Gilgamesh. She had three of the damn man hanging around already. Gudako had insisted that there wasn’t a chance to have him come again.  
  
The blond in front of her was scowling the same way her Gil did when waking up with his child self on his lap. Wiping away the blood from her face, the man smiled a little.  
  
“Look at what I’ve found,” he purred. “There is my little dreamer.”  
  
“I would have wiped it off soon enough,” she told him.  
  
“Oh, a backbone?” The man tilted that head of his, smiling more. Still off, not the same smile that Gil normally gave. It made her heart skip a bit though. Her hands felt useless in comparison. “You’ve got some guts, don’t you? Let me introduce myself properly, shall I?”  
  
“You’re Gilgamesh. I think you already-“  
  
“Let me get to it. Let me do it.” The man stood up, bouncing on his feet a moment until he could manage to temper down the smile on his face. He shut his eyes, swinging around two twin blades at his sides before he took a stance.  
  
“I,” he declared. “I am the great Gilgamesh! King of Uruk! Ruler of Babylonia. I am the most powerful of servants in the holy grail. Capable of taking down beasts and men alike! All fall before my might. All are second to me, the greatest warrior to ever live!”  
  
She had blood on her face again, but there was no helping covering her mouth with her hand. Seeing him so excited to explain who he was and seeing him practically fight to keep himself from getting so excited over something as simple as an introduction; it had been a while since she had needed to hold back laughter so great.  
  
“I am impressive, I will admit.” The man- no, the teen grinned, resting a sword over one shoulder. “You may pay me reverence as you see fit. It’s fine with me. Swoon. Praise me. Simply look upon me. It’s up to you. I am, after all, entirely yours to use as you see fit.”  
  
His armor was too big.  
  
She could see one of his shoulder plates falling a little as he stood there.  
  
The teen was trying to look so much like his Archer self. He was fighting so hard to be impressive. Despite her best efforts, it was at least making her start to smile a little, the laughter still managing just a little to be held back.  
  
Her gaze had to be off him. She had to look away.  
  
“Eh?” The blond moved forward, leaning close to her. “What is this? Does my introduction fill your heart with joy? Planning our first battle already?”  
  
“I’m sorry. I need a moment.” She was going to laugh at him if she didn’t get that moment. The teen tilted her chin up to meet his gaze though, spitting on his own attire before wiping the blood from her face.  
  
“Once again you hide your features from me. Was my introduction not suitable then?”  
  
“You were fine, Gil. I just-“  
  
“What did you call me?”  
  
Hakuno paused, staring over at him. She shouldn’t have said that. She shouldn’t have said that at all. This one did not know about the nickname.  
  
“Sorry, I meant Gilgamesh.”  
  
“No, I like it.” Gilgamesh grinned a little more, moving to sit in front of her. “Gil. I am Gil. It’s not bad, I suppose. Something cute to call me, I guess.” Those eyes turned to her and he winked. “I’m amicable, seeing as you already dreamed about me.”  
  
Oh no.  
  
No. No…  
  
She wasn’t going to be having that. This boy was dangerous.  
  
“I should get back to my room…”  
  
“Hmm? Of course. My master must be tired.” The boy stood up, holding out his hand. Once again, he tried to smile that conniving smile, only managing to look…  
  
Well, her heart wasn’t slowing down as she accepted his help up.  
  
“I need to check your wounds while you prepare for bed,” he told her. “You shouldn’t be doing anything else before we cover those hand wounds.”  
  
“I hardly feel them.” Hakuno shook her head. “Besides, the worst that’ll happen is a couple scars. I don’t think I’d really care of they did either.” She glanced over her shoulder at him. “It’s not like I have any dreams about how I look.”  
  
“Master.”  
  
She felt him pull her to a stop, pulling her close before he bit his lip. Rather than berating her, he just paused, leaving her to feel her heart pounding and her face heating up at their closeness.  
  
“What is your name, Master?”  
  
Oh…  
  
OH! She hadn’t actually introduced herself.  
  
“It’s Hakuno. My name is Hakuno Kishinami. I’m one of two masters here in Chaldea.” She smiled a little at him. “I wasn’t actually planning to summon a servant, but I couldn’t help but to try. I’ve never done a summoning like that before.”  
  
“Ah, so I’m your first. How fortunate for me, Hakuno.” The servant pulled her hand into his own, grinning. “How lucky lucky…”  
  
“I don’t know if I would call it lucky, but I’ll at least let you stay with me this evening.”  
  
It was the least she could do after all.  
  
Here she was, focusing on all the wrong things and now she had another servant. What’s more, another Gilgamesh. And an archer. Her team’s classes were still in disarray. At this point, she’d probably end up with every age of Gilgamesh imaginable if she continued to try to summon servants. Better to simply stop now while her luck was down.  
  
She couldn’t exactly apologize to younger Archer either. Despite what she had done, she needed to at least make him feel welcome. Some rest, a change of clothes, maybe some time to train together or something; she could at least make sure he knew that she didn’t dislike the fact that he was here.  
  
Hakuno paused as she noticed her hand empty.  
  
Looking back, her mind went blank.  
  
Gilgamesh stared at her, a deep, rosy hue on his cheeks.  
  
“Y-you want me to sleep next to you?”  
  
“Did you not do that in Uruk when you were this age?” His child self was young, but surely he wasn’t sleeping with them all because he was too young to sleep alone. Caster, Archer, and Enkidu all slept with her too, insisting it was normal.  
  
“I-It’s fine. I’ll just keep an eye on your door, Master.”  
  
He was blushing so hard. His ears were even red, now that she was looking at him. She moved closer, a grin coming to her face despite her best intentions.  
  
He was embarrassed. About something his older self did all the time…  
  
Oh, sweet Moon Cell.  
  
“Come on, Gil.” Hakuno moved forward, grinning as she leaned towards him. “I won’t hog the sheets if that’s what you’re worried about.”  
  
“It’s not that master. It’s dangerous to simply sleep next to you when other masters and servants could attack.”  
  
“Chaldea doesn’t have enemies here. The enemies are in singularities and different training areas.” Hakuno leaned a little closer, “You’re embarrassed. What’s wrong?”  
  
“It’s nothing, Master.”  
  
“You can call me Hakuno, you know.”  
  
The teen coughed a little, stepping passed her. “Let’s get your hand treated. I have something in the gates of Babylon that could help. I actually have a lot of things that could help.”  
  
“Gil-“  
  
“We’re treating your hand!” He hurried her along, slowing as they reached the end of the hall. The man looked back at her, waiting.  
  
“It’s… It’s this way.” Hakuno motioned him along, stopping at her door and opening it for him.  
  
“This is it?”  
  
His armor still clinking against him, Gilgamesh entered the room, looking around in distaste. “It’s so damn boring. Did you just move in?”  
  
“I did.”  
  
Kind of anyway.  
  
“Alright. So you haven’t had the chance to make it your own.” Gilgamesh looked around before his sword swiped at the air. Rather than the usual exiting of objects, he reached into the portal, pulling out things from within. “We’ll need to make some adjustments. You have good taste, I can tell by the clothing you have on. I can’t imagine you’ll argue too much if I help with some of the work. Just have a seat while I find something for your hand as well.”  
  
“That’s alright! I can decorate in my own time. Let me just wander to the infirmary here-”  
  
“You’re my master. Let me treat you.”  
  
“Servants don’t need to do whatever they have to in order to help their master.” Hakuno crossed her arms, watching the teen dumping more fabrics onto the floor. Her room was going to end up looking like the other room she stayed in soon.  
  
“That’s what I’m here for.”  
  
"Gil-"  
  
“It’s fine, woman. Sit while I do this. It’s my duty to heal you and ensure you don’t get hurt again. I have to do this. Just sit down and let me do my job.” He turned away, cursing softly in Sumerian on her.  
  
Hakuno shook her head. “I keep telling you it’s fine. I command you to do only what you want to do and not whatever you feel you need to do out of being my servant!”  
  
The teen blinked, staring over at her.  
  
She could feel one command seal burn off her hand as her mind registered what she had just said.  
  
Those red eyes stared at her.  
  
“Master…”  
  
Perhaps…  
  
Perhaps she should have watched her words a bit more carefully.


	2. Chapter 2

“Did you really just waste a command seal on that?”  
  
There was no stopping the other as Gilgamesh stalked towards her. Hakuno backed up to the door, finding herself pressed against it as the other just stared at her.  
  
“Really, Master? Did you ever stop to think that maybe I need to think about what I need to do for you as your servant? Did you think about the fact that I have to be concerned with your safety and wellbeing? What I want… What a waste!” He ran his hands through his hair, looking around again. “I don’t get you at all! What would I even want!”  
  
“I mean- you can decide that in time?” Hakuno moved forward carefully.  
  
She had messed up with him. She really didn’t understand this Gilgamesh at all. All of the others had been all too happy to decide on things to do. Archer drank and fought. Child Gilgamesh played games and tricked people. Caster ruled over his singularity from afar and partook in fancy coffees. How could a Gilgamesh not have some kind of aspirations?  
  
“What do you want with the holy grail? Let’s start there.”  
  
“Huh? That useless cup?” The teen looked over at her, rolling his eyes. “What would I want with something like that? A drinking cup? It’s pointless. I’m just here to fight.”  
  
“So you want to train a lot?”  
  
“Ah, not really. Training is boring.”  
  
“I don’t get you at all. You have to want to do something.” Everyone wanted something. Whether or not it was reasonable or feasible was another matter. “Anything at all. It doesn’t even have to be anything complicated.”  
  
Gil just looked over at her, gaze falling to her hands.  
  
“I suppose… I want to wrap up your wounds.”  
  
Her hands were out without hesitation, open for his use. “Just be gentle, please.”  
  
“Gentle. What a strange master you are.” Gil pulled her to the bed, settling her down before he returned to his collection of fabrics and the bottle he had abandoned. His hands wrapped around the bottle in particular, returning to her side and settling on the bed beside her.  
  
His eyes drifted over her a moment before he motioned her closer.  
  
“Come here, master,” he murmured.  
  
There really wasn’t another choice. She was too curious about this new Gilgamesh. Her body moved to his side, finding him hesitantly wrapping an arm around her shoulders and pulling her hand up so he could tilt the bottle carefully.  
  
A fine oil poured forth.  
  
“You have to be gentle when rubbing it into the wound,” the boy told her. “Don’t rub too much in one place. My mother used to use this whenever I would wander into the city to fight with ruffians.”  
  
“I really appreciate you doing this for me.” Rubbing her hands together, she hissed, earning the other’s hands moving against hers.  
  
“Slowly, Master. It’s not meant for a rough touch. It’s like anything fragile, you have to take things slow and allow actions to handle the problem. It will sting if you force it.”  
  
“I think it’ll sting no matter what I do.” She looked over at him, watching those red eyes drift over to meet hers. He was so close.  
  
The other must have thought something similar, the boy pulled back, nodding as he finished rubbing her wounds closed.  
  
“Gil?”  
  
“I’ll bring you a towel from your bathroom. Please be sure to lay down and take a moment to rest.”  
  
“I should probably just take a shower. Why don’t you relax in here a little and I’ll be back in a few minutes?”  
  
“You’re gonna shower?”  
  
“Yes, I probably should anyway. Get whatever blood is on me off real quick. Don’t worry, the bathroom is right here.” She motioned towards the door, smiling. “I’ll be right back.”  
  
“Fine. Take your time.”  
  
“Alright.”  
  
He turned away, resuming his search through what could only be an odd version of the gates of Babylon. His rummaging was ending up with more fabrics. More random objects. Vases, glassware, miscellaneous trinkets; all came pouring forth from the depths of the gate as he reached in for them.  
  
She’d just leave him to it.  
  
Perhaps she would just give the room to him. She hardly used it to begin with. It would make things easier for him. He could make the space his own and design it as he saw fit.  
  
Looking around the bathroom though, she could already see the problem with having him here. The room was average, but the bathroom left a little to be desired. Unlike her bathroom with the others, this one was standard, small. It didn’t have the fancy faucets or bubbling tub nearby for soaking in. If anything, it simply had a shower and toilet. Just the essentials.  
  
She didn’t waste time thinking too deeply about it, but the thoughts were nonetheless persistent, plaguing her as she quickly turned on the shower and climbed in. Her clothes were left to linger on the floor. She rinsed, pouring some oils she had received from Gil into her hair.  
  
The robes she used for cover herself when she got out were fine for sleeping in. A deep golden color, they covered her well and were warm. She tied them into place before looking around the bathroom again.  
  
There was no doubt about it. She had been spoiled by the golden king and his duplicates.  
  
This place simply wouldn’t do for New Gil. He would need a better set of rooms for himself.  
  
A task for the morning, she thought, opening the door and moving through.  
  
“Alright, Gil. Since you’re staying in here with me, I should probably let you know that… I… um…”  
  
“Much more pleasing to the eye, isn’t it?”  
  
Hakuno just stared at the room, taking in the change. It had entirely escaped her memory that the rooms could go through such drastic changes to become proper rooms for servants. She couldn’t even see the bland walls that had made her question going back to her other room with the others. Rich tapestries hung from the walls, a canopy hung around the bed as a mountain of pillows fortified the sides of the bed.  
  
The floors themselves had even undergone a change, now covered in a carpet so thick it felt like her feet would sink beneath the materials into an endless cloud of softness.  
  
It was all so different.  
  
It was all terribly different.  
  
“I was in there… for ten minutes,” she said aloud, taking it all in.  
  
“I’m talented, I’m aware.” The blond stood up, grinning proudly as he looked around the room. His armor that he had appeared in was gone, replaced with a simple black and gold trimmed set of robes. “I was never one for living in squalor. Traveling to fight and negotiate with other countries leaves one in pathetic places though. One must make the best with what one has.”  
  
“This is amazing, Gil. It looks so nice in here.”  
  
He moved closer, leaning in front of her to catch her gaze. “Come now, it’s not that special. I just worked with a little of this and that. I can take it down quickly when you decide to have us move to a different space too.”  
  
“You really didn’t need to go to this length for us.”  
  
“Well, I didn’t,” he agreed. “But I like the way your face looks when I catch you off guard. Besides, you’ve doomed me to a life of doing whatever I want with no regard to my servant duties. What can I say? I’m just going to end up making you enjoy all of my whims now.”  
  
That sounded more like him. Hakuno could only laugh a little, shaking her head.  
  
“Thank you,” she told him, leaning forward to kiss him.  
  
Once again, the blond just froze. His eyes widened as she pulled back.  
  
“Was that too much, Gil?”  
  
“I… I just…”  
  
The blush was coming back. Once again, she had defeated the bravado of the king.  
  
But didn’t that make her feel good. She had made the man who had teased her endlessly stop in his tracks, finding himself on the other end of all the teasing and attention. Hakuno leaned smiled up at him, brushing those bangs out of his face.  
  
“Was that too much for you, Gil?”  
  
“It’s fine. A proper response for having your room fixed from its pathetic state.” Yet, even as he said that, his eyes drifted away from her, hands fidgeting a moment before grabbing hers.  
  
“Well, then I guess this is where we go to sleep, isn’t it.” She raised his hands, eyes locked with his as she kissed his hands. “Thank you for helping me with my wounds, Gil. I really appreciate all that you’re doing for me.”  
  
He laughed. Such a weak version of Archer’s laugh, but a laugh no less. His arms wrapped around her, pulling her close and looking into her face.  
  
“You’re too much!” He leaned in close, arms holding her loosely. “Just what kind of master do you think you are, treating me like this. Do what I want. Kissing my hands like I’m the maiden here.”  
  
“I would never mistake you for a maiden, Gil.”  
  
“Gil, gil, gil. You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?”  
  
“I am.”  
  
There was no denying it. She was really enjoying this. It felt good to have him squirming and guessing what she’d do next. It was fun to see the other simply lose his cool. Too young to have his emotions mastered, too old to be treated like nothing less than a child. He made teasing fun. He made being around him fun.  
  
“You…” He leaned in closer, holding her hands hostage still. “Look here, you. I don’t know what your goal is, but I’m going to tell you right now. If you think you’re some priceless beauty or something-“  
  
“I’m well aware that I’m plain. I can’t hold a candle to goddesses or anything. Not to worry.” She leaned up, pressing her lips to his cheek. “Normally, I don’t really bother being like this, but I’m tired and you are cute when you blush. I haven’t seen anyone like you blush before. It’s nice.”  
  
Her hands were barely held.  
  
She pulled them back.  
  
Moving to the bed, she pulled back the new covers, slipping beneath them as the other simply stared after her, trying to find where his train of thought had gotten derailed.  
  
A useless practice. She had spent too much time with the ever-distracting Enkidu.  
  
“You can come sleep next to me if you would like,” she offered, fluffing up the pillow beneath herself. “I don’t snore or anything. I’m actually a boring sleeper. You’ll find that I’m not that particularly interesting, but I’ll make sure to take good care of you. I promise.”  
  
The servant just stood there, his gaze definitely not leaving her as she tried to simply go to sleep.  
  
Perhaps she had gone too far?  
  
His foosteps turned, heading for the door. Halfway there, they turned, heading her way.  
  
And then he turned again.  
  
She peeked carefully over the sheets, watching the teen pause again. His eyes went to the door, the sound of a foot tapping being heard before she closed her eyes again.  
  
He headed back to the bed, the bed dipping as he climbed onto the bed. She could feel the bed move as one of the Gates of Babylon was ripped open in the air, the servant mumbling unintelligibly before another couple of blankets landed on her.  
  
“What’s this?”  
  
“You looked cold.”  
  
Glancing over at him, Hakuno reached out her hands. She motioned for him to come closer, watching those eyes move over her person.  
  
“…I really should keep an eye on the door, Master.”  
  
“I told you, just call me Hakuno. And there’s no need to watch the door.” Sitting up, she wrapped the blankets around herself a little. “You’re in a place known as Chaldea. There’s a lot of servants and two masters. We don’t really fight unless we’re protecting humanity in singularities or going to the training grounds.”  
  
That would be something she’d focus on. Training- probably with Enkidu and Caster since they were normally laidback about new servants joining her in training. Caster would probably be less than amused with the development, but he’d be a good direction to start with accustoming younger Gil to Chaldea. He’d probably also have some insight on getting younger Gil introduced to Archer.  
  
Hopefully Caster and Enkidu could help her with Archer and kid Archer later.  
  
“See,” the other drawled in that oh so familiar way of his, leaning in. “I don’t like that.”  
  
“Don’t like that?”  
  
“You scowling like that.” The servant’s hands drifted over her cheek, the teen moving in closer. Under his gaze, she couldn’t help but feel like she did whenever Archer made that look. It felt like he was reading her mind.  
  
“I’m just thinking.”  
  
“If you have to think like that, then I think I should still watch the door.”  
  
“I told you I wanted you to-“  
  
“I know, do what I want.” The servant leaned in closer, pulling the blankets around her tighter and looking at her from beneath those thick lashes of his. “I know what you want. I don’t get why, but I know what you want. I’m just going to make what I want what’s best for keeping you safe though. You’re too interesting to let go of.”  
  
Great.  
  
Her thoughts stopped as he got closer yet, those bangs still messily covering part of his face. “You asked me earlier about the grail. What do you want with it?”  
  
“Nothing.”  
  
“No? Not wealth? Looks? Power?” Once more, it felt like he was analyzing her for some reason. “Everyone wants something, Master.”  
  
“It’s Hakuno and I don’t. I have everything I could ever want right now and then some. If I asked for anything, it’d just be for something to eat in the morning and for me to learn some of the skills I haven’t learned yet in due time.”  
  
“Eating and to learn? Really?”  
  
“Eating and to learn.” She nodded at him. “Again, I have absolutely everything I could ever want. I couldn’t ask for a better servant. I couldn’t ask for wealth because I wouldn’t use it for anything. Power’s not an issue here. Looks I don’t care about. So yeah, a good breakfast in the morning and to learn what I don’t know over time would be great.”  
  
He huffed, pulling away and laying back against the bed. “Fair. I guess that’s fair. You have me anyway. I basically own the world at this point. Uruk is the most powerful kingdom and city in the universe. There’s some strong servants, but your mana is immense and I’ll kill them all later.” That weak smirk turned her way. “And you’re cute enough. I don’t necessarily see reason to change anything about you.”  
  
“I’m glad we worked that out, I guess.”  
  
She really wasn’t going to talk about her looks with another Gilgamesh. Her body slipped back down into a laying position, finding the other’s arms wrapping around her loosely.  
  
“Did I insult you?” He asked.  
  
“I’m fine.”  
  
“You know I’m not insulting you, right?” His face appeared over hers, his hand resting on her arm as he tried to have eye contact. “I meant what I said. A king never lies.”  
  
She pulled him in, opting to just avoid the conversation now. That was enough out of him. If he was worried, she’d just show him that she wasn’t concerned about his words. She was plain. His elder selves had made that nice and clear.  
  
“Master-“  
  
“Hakuno,” she reminded him.  
  
The teen slowly relaxed, looking up at her and earning a small smile.  
  
“I know you didn’t intend to insult me and I don’t really care if you did, Gil. You’re here. I’m glad you are. Whatever fighting we do, we’ll do together and we’ll win. That’s what strong servants and masters do.”  
  
“It is…”  
  
He was easing down from his tensed up state rather nicely now, his arms settling around her person. Slowly, as though preparing to leap from the bed if he crossed a boundary, the teen slid closer to rest his head against hers. Hakuno moved to her side to help him, lifting the blankets to cover him as well as she spooned up against him.  
  
“I shouldn’t get too comfortable,” he argued, giving a slight yawn. “Just in case someone tries to attack.”  
  
“I won’t let you get cold, Gil. A couple blankets aren’t going to stop the best servant from being able to take down his opponents.”  
  
“I don’t care for sleeping with people,” Gil pointed out after a while, pulling her closer to himself. “Mongrels tend to paw at wealth and ambitious snakes tend to gather at the heels of those more successful. Between the two disgusting things, I enjoy indulging on my own. I don’t really need anyone else.”  
  
“I’m glad you have been successful in avoiding those kinds of things.”  
  
“I hope you aren’t accustomed to sleeping with mongrels, master. I won’t tolerate having to look after you if you have guests.”  
  
“You don’t have to worry about defending anyone I sleep next to. I just sleep next to you.” His archer self and caster self were very intent on that fact. Usually Enkidu took up the other side of Caster. The two had a deep enjoyment out of driving one another to madness. Caster was too held back. Enkidu enjoyed messing up his paperwork and order.  
  
“Such a strange master you are,” the boy purred, holding her closer. “Sleep next to me. You are audacious.”  
  
“You’re next to me right now.”  
  
He hummed, glancing down at her. “I want to continue to do this at night. That is what I want now, Master.”  
  
“It’s Hakuno and that’s fine.”  
  
“Just like this,” he pointed out.  
  
She didn’t necessarily see the problem with that. She could have him sleep on her other side when she went back to the room with the others.  
  
That face pressed closer to hers, his smirk improving in becoming like his elder self’s. His gaze dropped, leaving her with little time to react before she felt his lips against hers.  
  
He kissed too hard.  
  
She wrapped her arms around him better and pulled from his lips a little, looking up at him a moment. “You have to be gentle about that.”  
  
“Oh?”  
  
Another of those pointed eyebrow raises.  
  
Rather than argue, she needed to just show him. Her body pressed against his a little more, lips pressing to his before she led him into the kiss.  
  
Something between Archer and Caster’s would be acceptable. Archer was demanding. Caster was teasing. She tilted her head slightly, leading in the feel of their lips against one another’s. She held him closer, leaning over him so she could deepen the embrace more.  
  
What they had between them, it needed to be deep, drowning him enough to show the depth of emotion. It needed to let him breathe, letting him feel like there was just that little bit more that could be given. It needed to feel like they needed to kiss again.  
  
After all, that was what it always felt like. She wanted to give more, be caught up in all the feelings that went through her when she kissed Gilgamesh. It didn't feel any different with younger Gil. If anything, she felt like she was more into it. It felt like she needed him to want to continue to do this. She wanted to impress him with how she could kiss him.  
  
His fingers were moving through her hair, eyes closing as he took it in. Learning the pace, he took the lead in the next kiss, once again taking control of what happened between them.  
  
“I must be losing my damn mind doing this with you,” he breathed, pulling back and grinning.  
  
“Because I’m a mongrel?”  
  
“What? No. Why the hell would you think that?” the smile on his face fell at that, brows furrowing. “Don’t you dare call yourself that. You are not a mongrel. You are my master and better than half the damn goddesses I’ve had to put up with. They’re mongrels. Worse than mongrels, actually.”  
  
“Y-you don’t think I’m a mongrel?”  
  
Could he be any more different than his other selves?  
  
“You are my master,” he repeated. His lips pressed against hers lightly, his face tinted red as he pulled back. “You’re my type too. I’m gonna enjoy doing whatever the hell I want with you here.”  
  
“Mhmm…”  
  
The boy was damn confusing.  
  
“Master.”  
  
“What is it?” His face was too close. His smile too genuine.  
  
“You aren’t part goddess or something, are you?”  
  
“What? No. No.” She scowled, pulling the blankets over them once again so she could settle in against him. “Why would I be something like that?”  
  
He shrugged against her, pressing against her a little more. “I had to ask. No one kisses like that.”  
  
Like they cared about him? Was that what he meant?  
  
Hakuno looked over her shoulder slightly, brushing a hand through his hair. The silence in the room was a nice change. The warm blankets were a welcomed change from the cold room. As she lay there, a yawn came into fruition, escaping her.  
  
“Go to sleep, Master.”  
  
“How many times do I need to ask you to call me Hakuno?”  
  
The blond laughed softly, resting one of his legs over hers. “How about this, I’ll call you by your name if we kiss like that again sometime.”  
  
“Let me know when you want to kiss again and we can. Within reason,” she added, knowing the idiot would probably want to kiss again when they were in the middle of fighting or arguing.  
  
“You give in too easily.” The blond pulled her back by the shoulder, kissing her again lightly.  
  
“That’s not letting me know, Gil.”  
  
“I want to kiss again in the morning, Hakuno.”  
  
Idiot.  
  
Her arms pulled him close, her eyes closing before she found herself succumbing to sleep.  
  
Sleeping on her own was entirely overrated, she thought before sleep set in.  
  
Thankfully, she had Gil with her.


	3. Chapter 3

“Hakuno!”  
  
A pounding was coming from the door. Accompanied by what could only be the most furious voice she had heard from the golden king in a long while. She must have done something to upset him. Either that or Arthur had decided to pay him a lovely visit…  
  
Again.  
  
She really was starting to hate when Arthur tried to help her out. The man was sweet as could be, but pissing off Gilgamesh was something she really didn’t want to put up with.  
  
People needed to learn, sometimes it was best not to rouse lions.  
  
“Hakuno! Open the door!”  
  
Right…  
  
Right!  
  
She had spent the night in her own room. She had forgotten. It had felt so good being warm, wrapped up in what had to be the most soothing, lovely sheets she had ever felt before. How that was even possible with the man’s impossibly high standards, she wasn’t even sure.  
  
Yet there it was. Her bed was warm, quiet, and-  
  
“HAKUNO!”  
  
And having a peace that was easily destroyed.  
  
“Thank the Moon Cell Gudako put my bedroom away from others,” Hakuno growled, moving to get up.  
  
“Master, I must insist you lay back down. I have barricaded the doors and improved your locks to prevent the person on the other side from entering.”  
  
Hakuno paused, looking over her shoulder as the younger Gilgamesh sat up next to her. His robes had fallen to his waist during the evening, showing off a symbol free chest and muscles to her gaze. His eyes were fighting to stay open, as though he had gotten very little sleep the night before. The teenager brushed his hair back, looking at the door in a mixture of disgust and fatigue.  
  
“HAKUNO! OPEN THE DOOR!”  
  
“What an annoying pest,” the boy growled.  
  
“It’s fine. I should probably open the door.” The servant was going to murder her when she did, but it was probably better to just get it all over with now rather than wait. Besides, “we’re going to be late to breakfast if we don’t.”  
  
“Hmm?” The boy blinked. “You actually want to open the door when someone is clearly ready to lose their temper with you? Do you not hear them pounding on the door like some loathsome mongrel?!”  
  
“It’s just another servant.” Him, at that.  
  
Yes, best to just let him in. Hakuno slipped to the edge of the bed, brushing her robes into place as she stood.  
  
He just gestured at her, eyes widening in distress. “Hakuno, don’t!”  
  
“It’s fine.” She smiled his way at the voice started back up.  
  
“HAKUNO!“  
  
“I’M COMING! GEEZ! ARCHER! GIVE ME A MINUTE!”  
  
She slipped around the boy’s grasp before he could stop her, heading over to the door and staring at the swords blocking the door from being opened.  
  
It wasn’t the locks that were Gil’s problem this morning. Actually, it seemed like he had actually been paying attention when Caster had taught him about some magic. No, there was a different problem. It was just the fact that he couldn’t push the door open with these blades sticking up in the way. Her gaze flickered back to the teen, motioning at the collection.  
  
“Do you mind helping me, Gil?”  
  
“Master, it’s not wise to let someone that angry into the room. Let’s prepare for fighting before-“  
  
“Please?” She motioned at the swords again. “I really don’t want to cut myself again trying to move these. You were so kind as to help me heal after the last time I got hurt. I really should calm Archer down before he loses his mind. He’s not going to be happy until I talk to him.”  
  
“Master.”  
  
“Gil… Please?”  
  
The teen groaned, climbing off the bed and heading to her side. He slowly, carefully pulled the swords from the doorway. One by one, they were set aside, next to the door. All the while, the teen just shook his head.  
  
“This is such a bad plan, Master. A horrible plan. You’re just asking for trouble by indulging this servant. Whoever this Archer is, they’re nothing more than a mere mongrel unworthy of something as selfless as you.”  
  
“Thank you,” she replied simply, ignoring his words.  
  
The last sword moved, the door flying open. There was barely enough time for younger Gil to move as the other barreled in. As usual, the king had one goal. Those red eyes locked on her, ignoring the world around him as he grabbed her shoulders and threw her a glare.  
  
Once again, he was trying that newer tactic of his. Up close and personal, the king glared at her.  
  
“What is the meaning of blocking us all from your side, Hakuno?”  
  
“Good morning to you too, Archer.”  
  
“There is no other servant or even my other selves here, Hakuno. It is not like you to have Gudako lie. I want to know why you decided to trick your servants and went to rest in this…” His brows furrowed as he looked at the room, stepping back. Glancing at the bed, the carpeting, the walls covered in Sumerian tapestries; the king went silent.  
  
“It was just for a night,” she explained weakly. “After being kicked yesterday while trying to sleep and listening to you all argue, I really just wanted to sleep alone…”  
  
Her words died as she saw the younger Gilgamesh moving behind the king, his blades moving in hand. Archer huffed, crossing his arms as he straightened.  
  
“It’s suitable, I suppose,” the king relented. “I can’t be mad about this room. I had thought some of these items were in the Gates of Babylon to be honest.” The gaze turned to her. “But if you wish to sleep in another room, ask me. I would have joined you. You are in such great need for pleasure after all.”  
  
“Um… I need to talk to you about something, Archer.”  
  
Archer narrowed his gaze at her as his younger self gave her a nod. “Do not think to deny me after staying away from me. I was expecting your company in my bed last night, Hakuno.”  
  
“How dare you call my master by her name,” the boy behind him growled, putting the two blades around the other’s neck. He had to reach up still, since Gil had a good few centimeters over the teenager. “Don’t you dare say such things to my Hakuno.”  
  
“…” Gil raised a brow at her, remaining still as he realized they were not alone.  
  
“My master and I,” younger Gil growled, “are going to leave. We’re going to get something to eat because my master is hungry and then I am going to remain at her side while you… You are going to leave us alone.”  
  
Archer just laughed. His head leaned back, the laugh echoing in the room as Hakuno covered her face.  
  
She was screwed. Gil Archer was going to murder her for this.  
  
“Mongrel,” Archer tapped the blades around his neck. “I have no time for little games. I don’t know where you found my Enki, but do not think they are something so easily wielded. Your efforts and meaningless words annoy me… Faker.”  
  
“How dare you say my weapons’ name aloud,” The blades grew closer to the man’s neck. “How dare you call me a faker! You don the appearance of my symbols and speak as though you think you are me!”  
  
“GUYS!” Hakuno moved forward, pressing a hand carefully to one of the two blades. She had to keep to the flat part, knowing how sharp Gil Archer tended to keep his weapons. “Please stop. I just got up. I’m not even fully dressed yet. I really just don’t want to deal with this.”  
  
“Hakuno, I’m not going to let this mongrel speak to us this way.“ He stopped as he got out from between the blades, staring at the younger self. “What the hell is this?”  
  
“I am Hakuno’s servant.” Younger Gil moved again, wrapping an arm around her waist. “And I’m not going to allow some gaudy, tasteless servant of some half baked master to come near her. Whatever magic you use to disguise yourself reminds me nothing less than of Ishtar in her bedsharing ways! As though I would ever appear with such words for my master!”  
  
“Excuse me?”  
  
Archer’s voice had gone soft. She could already see her life flashing before her eyes. There hadn’t been nearly enough trouble caused on her end. Not nearly enough entertainment enjoyed while she had been alive. Had she pulled enough pranks with Enkidu and Child Gil? She didn’t think so. She should apologize to Gudako for not helping her more too. The woman had tried her best to be a good friend despite all the servants they had. Truly, what a way to go. A man fighting with his younger self and herself being the collateral.  
  
Moon Cell, help her, but she was doomed.  
  
“You heard me,” Younger Gil answered. His arm wrapped around her tighter. “This is my master and you are not to come near her. You and your tasteless attire can go to Ereshkigal.”  
  
Ereshkigal? God, she needed to apologize for borrowing her ribbons and having Enkidu blame Ishtar. That had probably caused trouble.  
  
“You speak to me of my gods and of my master.” Archer stalked forward a step, expression darkening. “You think you can speak to me as though you think you are someone of merit? Have your testicles even descended? Do you know how to use what hangs between your legs?”  
  
“Nothing less than a sewer crawling serf would speak in such a manner,” the boy huffed. Those eyes drifted over Archer’s body language. “Only more evidence that you consort with swine like that Ishtar. You cannot hope to dream of holding my master. Then again, it is oddly apropos, considering serfs always must worship goddesses from afar.”  
  
The haughty taunts were going over so badly. Hakuno covered her mouth, looking between them as she considered how hard it would be to find Enkidu right now. Enkidu could fix this mess.  
  
“What are you doing touching my Hakuno?”  
  
“Again you say such things.” The younger Gil shook his head, brushing a hand through his hair. “End your dreams, mongrel. Hakuno is not for a serf’s possession. She is the one I have chosen to have by my side.”  
  
“Excuse me?”  
  
Yes, excuse him. He was meaning as a master, right?  
  
Those eyes on that boyish face turned to her, fueled with that unstoppable charisma. “Forgive me, Hakuno. After our night last night, I had wanted to drag out this courtship properly. A beautiful woman such as yourself deserves a proper romancing, but this mongrel is going to make things difficult.”  
  
The teen sighed, leaning in close.  
  
“I felt your heart beat with mine. I felt your lips press to mine. I even felt your warm body fit against mine as you entrusted me to your body, like a jewel upon the most elegant of crowns. I know that you dreamed of me and I hope to have nothing but dreams of you. I fully intend to make you my empress to stand at my side and continue to defy my every expectation.”  
  
What?  
  
Hakuno just stared at him, watching him stick his swords, Enki- or whatever they were called, into the floor and kneel in front of her. His eyes drifted up to hers, although he gave a glance to the silent and fuming Archer nearby.  
  
“Hakuno,” he told her, that charm going up a notch somehow as that smile was flashed her way. “My lovely, unusual Hakuno. Never before have I beheld a beauty in bed with me that did not try to flaunt her own feathers. Never before have I ever had the chance to be teased and-“  
  
“ENOUGH!” A pair of arms swept her up, Archer’s body pressing against her stomach as she found herself on his shoulder. Rather than being able to do anything about the strange and seductive words that had escaped younger Gilgamesh, she was stuck on Archer’s shoulder, praying he wouldn’t drop her to strangle the boy.  
  
“BEAST!” The teen yanked his swords back up, spinning them into position as he prepared to pounce. “PUT HAKUNO DOWN!”  
  
“Hakuno is mine,” Gilgamesh roared. “She was mine far before you were even a sparkle in your sad excuse of a mother’s eye. Don’t you dare to try taking her from me!”  
  
“Put her down before I make your skull her drinking cup!”  
  
Archer laughed, shaking her from her dazed state.  
  
“Gil,” Hakuno tried. “This man is-“  
  
“It doesn’t matter,” they both replied loudly, glaring at one another.  
  
“My master is mine!” Archer hissed.  
  
“Your master? Pathetic. Does your master have such little power that you must borrow my Hakuno to feel strong? Perhaps not sleeping with every woman you encounter would help you keep your mana.”  
  
Archer huffed, storming out into the hall with her in tow.  
  
“Gil! STOP!”  
  
“I’m coming to save you, Hakuno!” The younger man hurried after them, trying to attack and finding Archer’s gates appearing in his way. All the way down the damn hall, into the next and the next.  
  
Portal after portal appeared. The younger man dodged all the swords, spitting Sumerian at the king holding her. In return, the man hissed back at him, the colorful language lost but not entirely obvious from the way their expressions were darkening. Each time she thought she had seen the darkest expression, their eyes would flash with vengeance, their tempers flaring worse. The walls sported their ire, holes appearing as swords would disappear back into Babylon and young Gil’s twin blades would be yanked from the walls.  
  
“CASTER!” Hakuno yelled out for their other self. “ENKIDU!”  
  
Someone had to come to stop this nightmare. The two men were going to end up killing one another at this rate.  
  
“I am coming, Hakuno!”  
  
“Don’t count on it, pest!”  
  
Archer’s grip on her tightened, her robes slipping slightly on her person as she tried to at least get him to slow down. She needed to explain this! Why couldn’t he wait to react for five minutes?!  
  
Caster would have questioned, listened, and then made an assumption. Child Gilgamesh would have pouted, listened, and then made assumptions. Archer? Absolutely not, just attack his younger self and insult one another until they were ready to kill each other with her in one’s arms.  
  
“Hakuno!”  
  
At least younger Gil was finally saying her damn name.  
  
Archer spat another insult at him. Or something, as the boy began to roar something back.  
  
“What’s going on? Hakuno? Did I hear you over here?” Enkidu’s head appeared around one of the corners, donut in hand and face covered in white sugar. “Oh! A fight!”  
  
“Enkidu! My friend!” Archer grinned, setting Hakuno down and turning his back to them. “Watch Hakuno while I kill this brat.”  
  
“Gil! Don’t hurt him!” Hakuno started to move forward only for the duo fighters to raise a hand her way.  
  
“This won’t take long,” both men declared, gazes narrowing at one another.  
  
“Why do they look alike?” Enkidu asked.  
  
“Archer! Stop, please!” She moved before the clay servant could grab her, ducking underneath even Archer’s arms to wrap her arms around the boy. His arms went to her waist, pulling her close and his face pressing to her head.  
  
“Thank the gods. I finally have you safe in my arms again,” he breathed, a smile apparent even in his voice. “I assume this means my proposal has been accepted. Don’t fret for a moment, my queen. I won’t let them do anything to you. Faithless mongrels.”  
  
“How dare you touch my Hakuno,” Archer hissed, Ea poking out from one of the portals.  
  
“Now Gil, hold on,” Enkidu coaxed. “I recognize that face-“  
  
“You insult my friend, you steal my woman, you speak in my tongue like you are one of my people-“  
  
“Don’t you dare call Hakuno your woman, you flea infested mongrel,” Younger Gil countered.  
  
“YOU ARE BOTH GILGAMESH!”  
  
Both men stared at her.  
  
“I think I missed that, Hakuno,” Archer murmured, straightening. “There are already two others of me in Chaldea. There is no chance for another. I am not capable of being split that many times.”  
  
“There’s no chance of other versions of myself being able to appear, my love.” Younger Gil kissed her forehead. “I know we may look similar, but please don’t allow this man to confuse you. It must be a fluke.”  
  
“You are both Gilgamesh!” Hakuno motioned between them. “I tried summoning last night and-“  
  
“You did what?!”  
  
“Before you get mad, Archer,” Hakuno warned, “I was just using saint quartz that Gudako gave me. She said it would be nice to round out my team and have another servant. She was worried and I thought it would be nice to be able to have a Saber to help protect you.”  
  
“A saber… You summoned an imposter in an attempt to summon me a Saber.” Gilgamesh spat on the ground, glaring at the younger version of himself.  
  
“Don’t you dare harass Hakuno!”  
  
“This insect isn’t worth calling by my namesake,” Archer growled. “Step aside and let me take care of him. There won’t be an extra me around for long.”  
  
“Archer!” Hakuno moved in front of the younger version of himself, shaking her head. “I don’t want you to be hurt because you attacked and killed your younger self. Just- Let me get dressed and I’ll explain. Can we please all just get dressed and have something to eat?”  
  
“I’m already eating,” Enkidu pointed out. “Emiya is making those powdered sweets again.”  
  
Her stomach rumbled at the very thought.  
  
“Enkidu,” Archer closed his gates, looking back at the being. “Get Caster and my child self. We’ll see if those two think this idiot,” he emphasized the word, throwing his Younger self a look, “is me or some kind of servant in disguise in need of being slaughtered. In the meantime,” he held out his hand. “Come with me, Hakuno. I don’t trust you alone with this kid.”  
  
Younger Gil held her tighter, his hands shaking a little.  
  
Glancing over her shoulder, she could see the hesitation, the concern in those eyes. She knew those emotions from seeing them on his older selves’ faces. Caster had made that look so many times when working. Archer had kept that look when she had run into her old servants from the Moon Cell.  
  
“I won’t leave you, Gil,” Hakuno told him, watching those red eyes soften as he looked down at her.  
  
The smirk he threw her way had her heart beating as wildly as it had when he had started saying that nonsense proposal earlier. His mouth moved closer to hers a bit before he stopped himself, his face reddening as he looked away.  
  
“Hakuno…” Archer waited, tapping his foot now.  
  
“We’re going to all go to the other room and change together,” Hakuno told him.  
  
“I’m not welcoming an imposter into our room-“  
  
“Gil! Just- Stop insulting him for a half minute and let me get dressed! I asked Gudako to help me yesterday because I was tired of listening to arguing first thing in the morning and now I’m listening to arguing first thing in the morning!”  
  
Archer waited, hand still extended.  
  
“Damn it…” She pulled the younger version of himself along, taking Archer’s hand and finding herself pulled close. His lips pressed against hers, punishing, desperate. He kissed her the same way he did when Caster was getting too much attention.  
  
She could feel Younger Gil moving to intercept. She pulled away and hugged the boy to herself.  
  
“Please… Please don’t fight before I get dressed,” she pleaded.  
  
“Hakuno, you ask to much of me.” Archer shook his head again. “I have made my feelings clear enough. I’m not letting you out of my sight again and I’m not letting this mongrel in our chambers.”  
  
“Hakuno already declared that she would not leave me,” younger him replied, glaring at the man. “What more do you expect to hear from my empress?”  
  
“Do you think Hakuno’s sweetened words will save you? When I am already of half a mind to simply ignore her qualms and kill you now?”  
  
“Do not kiss my love again, beast.”  
  
“Enkidu,” Hakuno called. “Can you please calm and hold back Archer?”  
  
“I’m eating.”  
  
She sighed.  
  
“Hakuno,” Archer’s arms wrapped around her once again. “Why do you allow this to continue? Are you still upset with Caster over yesterday? I can punish him, you know. Point my blades to what you need and I can complete whatever task needs done. I will ensure you are never struck again.”  
  
“Caster didn’t mean to kick me. He was tired and mad at Child Gil for drooling on him.”  
  
“Do not give in to him and speak to such worthless things such as him,” Younger Gil growled.  
  
Enkidu glanced back at them, raising a brow but saying nothing. Whatever normal political talents and Gilgamesh wrangling talents the being had, they were in no hurry to use it. Which was annoying, considering she was currently between a rock and a hard place. She needed them to stop and just understand what she was thinking. Not what they wanted to do. Not how much they hated the other for being near her. She needed them to just stop and see that they were the same damn person.  
  
These duplicates needed some kind of unspoken way to know one another.  
  
“Are you still tired, Hakuno?” Younger Gil closed the space between them a bit more. “We could stop following this lifeless being and imposter to return to our chambers. I know of a potion in my gates that could alleviate the most painful of headaches.”  
  
“Hakuno does not need children.” Archer’s arm moved around her waist. “She is a woman, taken by myself personally. Her body simply needs to rest and recover with the attentions of her lover and servant.”  
  
“You… You have stolen my love’s virtue?”  
  
Archer snorted. “You talk like a romantic prone child. Virtue.” That smirk, as aggravating as ever, went the younger boy’s direction. “I did not steal anything. My master, my Hakuno, presented her body to me on an eve within our chambers. I taught her what true pleasure is. Something only a man can do once they have learned for themselves what it means to truly be alive.”  
  
“Enkidu,” Hakuno quickened her pace to try to reach the clay servant. “I really don’t think I want to do too much today. Do you mind letting Caster and Child Archer know? I would rather they not have their hopes up.”  
  
The servant looked back at her, sighing before they stood before the younger Gilgamesh.  
  
“What do you want, clay being?”  
  
“You are Gilgamesh, yes?”  
  
“I am.” He answered in a bored tone, gaze narrowing a little. Those red eyes drifted over the servant as he kept a grip on Hakuno’s waist. “What of it?”  
  
“I am Enkidu.”  
  
“…Should I be impressed with such a name?”  
  
Archer laughed, his arms successfully yanking her free from the boy. “And there is our evidence! Hakuno, you have summoned a foolish imposter. I met Enkidu as a child. Even child me remembers him! You cannot pretend to love my master as I do and be me anymore, mongrel. We see through your lies.”  
  
Enkidu shook their head. “Forgive my friend. He is rather upset with you holding his love in your arms.”  
  
“Return Hakuno to me.”  
  
“In a moment,” Enkidu countered. The being pressed a hand to the younger Gil’s chest. “Do you remember a strange creature helping you as a child?”  
  
“Hmm?”  
  
“It was long ago. I don’t blame you.”  
  
“You mean the strange figure in the woods that ran with wolves and hunted my hunters for a while?” The boy paused, nodding. “I recall it. I leave it offerings on the start of each farmer’s crop cycle so that it does not stop the men from hunting. I have not seen it since.”  
  
Archer tensed behind her.  
  
“Ah, it is fun to see another view of me. I suppose I was inhuman at that time.” Enkidu smiled. “I am the creature from then. I am Enkidu, the clay being created by the gods to temper you.”  
  
“Temper me?” The boy snorted. “As though I would become arrogant. Return my bride to me. I do not have all day to play these games.”  
  
What the hell did he mean bride?  
  
“Hakuno, return to Caster,” Archer growled. “I will only be a moment.”  
  
“Peace, my brother.” Enkidu held up a hand before she could yell at anyone. Those green eyes flickered to the archer before turning back to his younger self. “Do you like Hakuno, young man Gil?”  
  
“She is my destiny formed lover and bride.” The boy ran a hand through his hair, his eyes drifting over to her a moment before he looked at Enkidu. “It is not a matter of fancying her. The gods themselves have decided she’s my companion. I am not going to question it.”  
  
Once again, he was raising his swords towards Archer.  
  
“I tell you again, mongrel. Release my love from your lecherous, diseased hands.”  
  
“Hakuno!”  
  
“This looks interesting.”  
  
“Thank Chaldea,” Hakuno breathed, moving away from Archer immediately. Her arms wrapped around Caster, finding child Gilgamesh wrapping his arms around her waist now. “I don’t know that I’ve ever been happier to see you both. Please stop Archer and Young Gil from killing one another.”  
  
“An imposter claims to be us and has swayed Hakuno to indulge their whims,” Archer hissed.  
  
“What in Ninsun’s name is this?” Younger Gil stared at them, weapons lowering.  
  
“Ah, you must not be well informed yet,” Enkidu replied for her. “Welcome to Chaldea, younger Gilgamesh. We are the servants of Hakuno.” The being pointed at them all individually as the boy just shook his head. “You are already acquainted with master. She is lovely, I agree. You also have Caster Gilgamesh, from a singularity reality where he focused on his mana and became a mage. He still works with his Uruk. It’s fun.”  
  
The hands went lower, motioning at Child Gilgamesh next. “This is your younger self. We call him Child Gilgamesh. I like to call him my young friend, but that might be a little confusing now. If you are here then I have two younger friends. I will come up with names soon to correct this.”  
  
The being motioned to Archer last, “and this is my friend from the regular time of Uruk. He is the king who slayed the Bull of Heaven with me and remained unchanged, focusing on the people rather than simply the work of Uruk. The king who became the fiercest of names in history for his talents with the mighty Ea. This is Archer Gilgamesh.”  
  
“There’s… There’s three of me here?”  
  
Hakuno tried to move, but Caster’s hold of her didn’t lessen. The mage king lifted her head up gently and kissed her forehead.  
  
“My child self and I were becoming concerned when Archer and you did not immediately return. We heard noise and came to investigate.”  
  
“I’m so glad.” Hakuno leaned against the man, nodding.  
  
Sensible, rational, cold blooded mage king Gilgamesh.  
  
What a blessing.  
  
“Hakuno.” The teen called out for her, making her glance his way. He shook his head as he held out his hand. “…This is madness. Come with me, Hakuno. Whatever this is, it’s the work of a caster heathen. I will get us to our room and we will attack this master and servant duo later.”  
  
He didn’t believe them.  
  
Hakuno groaned.  
  
Damn it all. 


	4. Chapter 4

Hakuno just stared at the boy, trying to think on her feet.  
  
There was no way she was going to simply have the teenager cause trouble. Not like this. They needed to do this slowly. Introductions were done. They needed to understand, they were all important.  
  
“Well?” Archer looked over at his Caster self, moving over to rest a hand on the other’s shoulder, leaning against him as he moved behind the man. Those red eyes narrowed. “You heard him. Caster heathen making all this happen. He thinks Enkidu is nothing more than a beast. He wants to steal our Hakuno from us, after all the time we have spent with her.”  
  
“Caster,” Hakuno looked up at the mage king, her face draining in color.  
  
Don’t you dare, her heart roared, eyes meeting the mage king’s own.  
  
This wasn’t like one of the other casters in Chaldea. This was Gilgamesh Caster. The king who still somehow ruled over Chaldea. The king who could travel into the depths of the underworld. The king who could roam into the land of the gods. There was nothing and no one that could stop this man.  
  
His tome came into fruition in hand, expanding the smile on Archer’s face as Ea came out of the Gates of Babylon.  
  
Child Gilgamesh looked up at them all before sighing, his chains coming into fruition. “I can’t take the slight either, I guess. Hakuno is mine, after all.”  
  
“Guys, please!” Hakuno tried to move, but Caster’s grip of her was firm. She could feel him holding her robes, keeping her against him.  
  
“Enkidu, take Hakuno to our chambers.” Caster’s gaze flickered over to the being. “We won’t be long.”  
  
“PLEASE!” Hakuno grabbed the mage king, pressing her face against him. “You are the rational one here, Caster! Stop and listen to me!”  
  
The man pulled his turban off, settling it on her head a moment before he looked at his Archer self. The smile she normally saw when Archer was about to go into battle formed on the other’s face.  
  
“That’s the spirit,” Archer praised. “As expected of me.”  
  
“You might as well let them get it over with,” Enkidu murmured, pulling her away from the scene a little more. “They’re going to want to fight until you let them.”  
  
“I’m not going to let them gang up on one of themselves and kill him. Enkidu,” Hakuno watched the first set of spells get cast the teen’s way and felt her stomach flip. “Enkidu, help me.”  
  
“It won’t end well,” Enkidu warned.  
  
“GIL! STOP!”  
  
“Never listening. Don’t blame anyone but yourself when things go wrong.”  
  
She wasn’t listening to him at all. She couldn’t. Archer was lunging forward, his kid self taking up the rear. Their teenage self dodged Archer, but the chains wrapped around his legs. He went tumbling as Caster launched an attack their way.  
  
Yanking the turban off, Hakuno tossed it Enkidu’s way, her heart stopping in her chest. She couldn’t let them kill one another. She couldn’t let them die.  
  
Rushing forward, Hakuno hauled child Gil up, tossing him Caster’s direction.  
  
Caster did as expected, dropping his things as a child was tossed his way. The king fell back as child Gil flailed, off guard from using his weapons. Their curses at one another were loud as Hakuno turned her attention to the problem at hand. She hurried to pull the chains from Gil’s legs, freeing him just as Archer moved.  
  
Young Gil pulled her close, his eyes flickering to Archer as he held her in his arms once again.  
  
“Gil-“  
  
“I’ve got you,” the teen murmured, he moved her behind himself, aiming his weapon towards Archer. The teen flashed a grin towards the Archer. “You see, don’t you? None of you fakers can hold what’s mine by choice. I won’t allow it. Incompetence and ingrates, the lot of you.”  
  
“Hakuno,” Archer turned his gaze to her, Ea beginning to spin. “…Move into a room nearby.”  
  
“Archer, no!”  
  
“Faker,” Archer looked back at the teenager. “If you have final words, say them now. I won’t allow you to-“  
  
Enkidu was behind him, wrapping his arms around the hand holding Ea. The clay being nodded over at her.  
  
Thank the gods for Enkidu.  
  
Hakuno grabbed the teenager as he was about to attack, sprinting for the other end of the hall. Her body went up, the swords disappearing into the air as Gil pulled her into his arms and ran.  
  
“This is stupid, I was going to-“  
  
“He was about to use Ea on you!” Hakuno looked behind them, half expecting the crew to be running their way. “He would have killed you, you idiot! He would have killed you and I never would have seen you again!”  
  
Those red eyes flickered over at her a moment before he continued to run, pausing for a moment before running in the direction of their room.  
  
“You could have talked to them, rationed things out, but no- not the great Gilgamesh. Why would reasoning things out ever be in your mind. No, you always have to fight. You always have to insult first and make assumpt-“  
  
The door to their room was thrown open, Gil slamming the thing shut before his lips found hers.  
  
Warm, emotion-fueled lips pressed against hers as she was set on her feet and pressed against the door. Her arguments and beratements all went out the window, mind going blissfully blank as she found her arms wrapping around him. His heart was pounding against her hand. His face was so warm as she kissed him.  
  
He shut his eyes to the point of scrunching them, his head tilted so he could try to deepen the kiss enough. She felt his teeth against her own.  
  
“You saved me,” he breathed, pulling back for air.  
  
Was that even a question? Hakuno leaned her head to his, giving a soft snort at his statement. “I said I wouldn’t leave you.”  
  
“You did, didn’t you?” Gil smirked, brushing her hair out of the way. The lock clicked into place a moment before she felt his lips press against hers.  
  
“Gil. About the others.”  
  
“Don’t talk about them.” The blond pulled back again, once more lifting her up into his arms. He carried her towards the bed, climbing onto it with her, looming over her.  
  
“I need to talk to you about them-“  
  
“Hakuno…” He leaned over her, body pressing to hers lightly as he kept that close proximity. “My beautiful moon, we don’t need to talk about them. We’re going to do this together.”  
  
“Wha-what do you mean?”  
  
His smile made her stomach flutter, his lips pressing to hers again. Such a light kiss, as though he thought he was seducing her with the mere touch of their lips.  
  
“Gil,” Hakuno tried to speak, finding the other closing his eyes a moment.  
  
“I have decided that you must be a goddess, a moon to my sun, Hakuno. That is the only reason I can see for you being as you are.” He was peppering the kisses on her now, drowning away arguments. “When I fall, you rise. When I falter, you thrive. There is no other reasoning for how someone could do this to me.”  
  
Why was her body reacting like this? She needed to tell him that the others were her servants and that he needed to stop this and get along with them. Enkidu especially. Caster especially. Archer would come along in time, but he would need time.  
  
Instead, her eyes were locked with his, her face warming as the teen spoke to her.  
  
“I cannot think of a better way you could have expressed yourself to me. You could have left me to die. You could have had any of them, especially that strong archer.”  
  
He was so close. She could smell the scent of sweat and sandalwood on his person. Her head was spinning a little as he remained in her space. There was no thinking around him. There was no backing out or arguing with him. He was right there. He was so warm and inviting. Even as he kept their distance close, she could feel one of his hands find hers, their fingers interlocking.  
  
“You are so soft, my moon,” he murmured. “You’re so small and delicate compared to me. I feel like I could break you if I’m not careful.” His voice was so, so soft. It went over like velvet. She couldn’t breathe. “My fair Hakuno,” the teen whispered. “Even if you are not a goddess, you will be for me. My goddess of victory. My goddess of fertility.”  
  
Fertil-  
  
What was he-  
  
“You taught me to kiss,” he told her. “Please do not hesitate to teach me more. I want to know how to do this with you. I want to know how to show you what my body feels when you are near. I can imagine a few things, but there is still much for me to learn.”  
  
It was almost laughable hearing him say something like that.  
  
“I can’t imagine you not knowing something,” Hakuno countered.  
  
“Does it surprise you, my moon? Even someone such as I can have things still to learn.” He pressed their hands to his chest, those eyes gleaming as he looked down at her. “You made this heart stop, jumping into the fray earlier. I’ve never fought with a master like that before.”  
  
“I couldn’t let you die.”  
  
“You couldn’t…” He leaned in, pressing his lips to hers again. “Gods, I want to do more than this. I need to do more than this. But that’s probably what that archer did to you. He probably saw right through to that soul of yours and lost himself in it too.”  
  
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. Archer and I just…” She paused, trying to think. They had lost themselves in their adventures, growing close despite the man’s surly moods at times and his absurd personality. She had found herself taken anyway, at a loss without him.  
  
“Don’t think about him with me.” The boy kissed her hand. “Don’t even spare him a second of our time. I meant what I said before. I intend to have you at my side.”  
  
“I’m already at your side, Gil.”  
  
The boy’s smile lit up the room. Her clothes were getting too warm. The room was getting too small. All she could see was that gorgeous, boyish charm. There was no getting around the fact that Gilgamesh had been a cute young adult.  
  
It wasn’t right, having someone like him be such a perfect young adult.  
  
“My moon,” he murmured.  
  
“You need to stop calling me that.” It was doing weird things to her. She tried to turn her head away, avoiding the golden view, but he turned her face back to him. His lips found hers again.  
  
“You’re making my whole body yearn, Hakuno.” Those red eyes, gods, but they were taking her every inch in. She was drowning in the depths of them. There was no escaping. “You make me want to be different. I don’t even know how, but there it is. There you are.”  
  
“I need a second.” More like a minute.  
  
“Am I doomed to hold you with my eyes then, never this body of mine?” Gil wrapped his arms around her, pulling her with him as he rolled them over on the bed. His hands moved along her back, keeping to her upper back for some reason. “Do you find fault with me somewhere?”  
  
Fault?  
  
If she could get away with it, she would have laughed at that comment. As though Gilgmaesh could have any physical faults. Arrogance and opinionated, sure, but they weren’t faults. They weren’t issues she didn’t enjoy working around in her own way.  
  
She made bold decisions as well, had her own flaws that the king worked around.  
  
“Speak to me, my moonlight.”  
  
“You don’t have any faults, Gilgamesh.”  
  
Another smile her way. She was being charmed by the boy.  
  
“I am going to spoil you,” the young king declared. “I’m going to find ways to show you what I feel. I am not one for pretty words, but I’m not one for useless birds that call themselves women.”  
  
He was definitely one for pretty words. She was drowning in them. “You don’t need to do anything,” she argued.  
  
She needed to focus on something else.  
  
“Do you feel this feeling, Hakuno?” the boy murmured.  
  
A feeling of some sort that was escaping her. She couldn’t think through the feeling of the other’s arms holding her. Her mind was flooded with ideas. Horrible, terrible ideas. She needed to show him what he had shown her. Pleasure in the bodily sense. She wanted to show him exactly what their bodies were capable of.  
  
“Hakuno,” that voice was calling out to her again.  
  
Closing the distance, her lips found his again. She leaned over him, shaking her head as she pulled away after stealing his air. Her robes were loosened.  
  
Hakuno shut her eyes, “I shouldn’t do this, but-“  
  
His hands stopped hers, gaze flickering up to meet hers.  
  
“Don’t.”  
  
“What… What do you mean?”  
  
The boy pulled her in, kissing her again. “We’ll do this as I was told to when I was younger. I will make you mine in the ceremonial of ways. Then, once that is done, I will do this with you. As it is intended. I will fill you up with such love for me that you could not think to be in anyone else’s arms for even a moment. Being away from me will cause you pain.”  
  
“Gil, I don’t think-“  
  
“Do you love me?”  
  
Her body went rigid.  
  
“Do you?” The teen had her trapped. She couldn’t say she didn’t. She loved him. Loved coffees with Caster. Loved video games with Archer and Enkidu. Hell, she loved baths and blanket arguments with child Gil. Every time she thought she was escaping from the feelings or finding them to be weaker, such as the ones she had felt for Nero or the others; the duplicates would pull her back in.  
  
Caster would look over at her in the early mornings, tracing her every inch with a featherlight touch. Those eyes were burn as they looked at her, making her feel like she would rather die than be anywhere else but there with him.  
  
Archer would curl up closer to her in the late nights, waking her up as he would awaken from a nightmare or simply from insomnia. His lips would find her skin, nipping and sucking at her neck and shoulders. The man would murmur things, as they lay there in the dark. His voice and meaning would swallow her in, instantly washing away his sins.  
  
“I always wondered what love would look like on a mortal,” the teen breathed. “Tell me though, Hakuno. I want to hear it from you.”  
  
“O-of course I love you, Gilgamesh.”  
  
The servant hummed, pulling her in again. Her ear was pressed to his chest once more, their bodies relaxed on the bed.  
  
“I have hardly been here long enough to deserve such words and emotion… But perhaps the dreams…” Gilgamesh’s voice was soft now. “I suppose it doesn’t matter. I will do this right. I will find you food in a bit. Clothes as well. Rest for now though. Rest upon me and let the feeling of my body against yours lull you into rest.”  
  
When she didn’t feel tired, she was going to get after him for this.  
  
Charisma and charm were not for putting others to sleep. They weren’t for making her feel the way she was feeling right now.  
  
But the man was kissing the top of her head. A blanket was being wrapped around her so she could just experience the warmth of his body and nothing else.  
  
Yes, when she got up, she’d get after him.  
  
“I know there are binding ceremonies passed down from the gods,” Gil murmured. “I will look them up so that they cannot take you from me, Hakuno.”  
  
Binding…  
  
She wasn’t sure what to make of that, but he was there.  
  
It reminded her of the Moon Cell, when Archer had held her in his arms and murmured to her until she had fallen asleep. Or when he had awakened, harassing her for moving away.  
  
Oh, but she wouldn’t move away from this.  
  
“Do you know,” Gilgamesh murmured. “You have this way of curling into a man, like they’re the only important person in the world. I truly don’t know what to make of it. I’ve never really slept next to someone before you.”  
  
“You are important to me…”  
  
Softly laughing, the grip of her tightened. “I am, am I not? What a strange and unique master, you are. I don’t mind this. I’m going to do this every night. I’ll hold you in my arms and we’ll fight off anyone that tries to cross us. I will be the most powerful fighter and you’ll be right there, ready to provide me with mana and see me through the tougher battles.”  
  
Just like in the Moon Cell.  
  
“I love you, Hakuno.” He sounded so serious. He tried the phrase again. “I love you… What a concept. I really do love you, Hakuno. I’m going to tell you that every single day until you can’t help but to feel this overflow of emotions you’re killing me with. I will make you take responsibility for what’s happening to me.”  
  
“I love you, Gil.”  
  
She really loved that stubborn servant that had wandered through the Moon Cell with her. Despite losing to every single video game against him. Despite the way he stole the bedsheets in the middle of the night and the way he seemed to make any and everyone hate him, she loved him.  
  
How many times had she told him that, she wondered.  
  
It didn’t matter, in the end. She was saying it here.  
  
She felt her mind drifting off.  
  
Everything went to nothingness.  
  
And then, she found herself opening her eyes.  
  
The room had gone dark, candles illuminating the room now. Gilgamesh sat on the edge of the bed, glancing her way as she shifted on the bed.  
  
“There’s my moonlight.” Gilgamesh moved in closer, leaning over her now. “I have work for us to do, whenever you find that you would like to get up.”  
  
“I fell asleep?” Had the others come to yell at them yet? Enkidu and the others were going to be put out by not going to the training grounds.  
  
“What a sleepy master I have.” He leaned in more, kissing her softly. “Do you mind exchanging some lines with me?”  
  
“Lines?”  
  
“Nothing complicated. Just a few simple things.”  
  
What lines and why? She moved to sit up, leaning against the teen as she saw the tome in front of him. It looked to be the same script as Sumerian was written in, but she couldn’t read it.  
  
“What is this?”  
  
“Hmm? Ceremony scripture. I gathered it when some Eblaite people wandered and studied amongst mine.”  
  
“Eblaite?”  
  
“They were… I believe northeastern people. They traveled far to learn from my people. I don’t care to know their details, merely what they learned that I could use for myself.”  
  
“What lines do I need to say? I can’t read this, you know. I only know this language and Sumerian.” And her Sumerian came and went depending on how much work she put in for it with Caster.  
  
“I need to have you repeat after me.”  
  
“Alright.” She could probably do that.  
  
“Hold on a moment.” He pulled one of his two blades to himself, sliding it over his hand before motioning for her hand. She handed her hand over without thinking, hissing as Enki ran over it. Their fingers laced together as she winced in pain.  
  
“Gil-“  
  
“It’s okay. I will heal us in a moment. It’s just for this.”  
  
What was this though?  
  
“Hakuno,” the teen leaned in close, pressing his lips to hers. “Stop thinking for a moment and just be in the moment with me. Clear your thoughts of any and everyone else. I want this moment to just be about you and I.”  
  
“You have my attention.” Her hand was hurting. His had to be as well.  
  
“Repeat after me.”  
  
“Fine, fine.”  
  
“I swear my allegiance to you.”  
  
Easy.  
  
“I swear my allegiance to you,” Hakuno told him.  
  
“I promise myself to you as you do to me.”  
  
“I promise myself to you as you do to me.”  
  
“I wish for our souls to be bound by the gods as our hands are bound, forever able to find one another no matter what happens.”  
  
Her heart was beating a little faster at that, the words coming out of her immediately. Her face was feeling as warm as Gil’s was. His blush was going to his ears again.  
  
“I wish to be committed, as much as one can be, to you.”  
  
“I wish to be committed, as much as one can be, to you, Gilgamesh.”  
  
The smile that came to his face was priceless. He pulled their hands to his lips and kissed them softly. “That’s all I needed, my moonlight. I can do everything else from here.”  
  
“What exactly is everything else?”  
  
Gil set the tome aside, grabbing the bottle from yesterday and beginning to treat her hand. The wound on his own was already closing as he worked.  
  
Her hand feel strange when he poured the oil on it though. A faint slash mark was left.  
  
“I don’t think the oil is working right, Gil. It’s left a scar.”  
  
Gil pulled her hand to his lips again, kissing the mark as his eyes drifted to hers. “This is the only mark I ever want to see on you, my empress.”  
  
“Gil…” She didn’t need that kind of title being tossed her way.  
  
“Why don’t you go shower,” he offered. “I will finish my reading and set some clothes aside for you to wear once you’re done.”  
  
“I should still get something to eat too.” Hakuno relented. “Just a quick shower, I guess.”  
  
She climbed to her feet, finding her body a bit weak for some reason. There was something wrong with moving away from Gil. Or, at least, that’s what came to mind offhand.  
  
How weird.  
  
“You slept for hours,” Gilgamesh told her, climbing to his feet as well and kissing her cheek. “I didn’t want to bother you, since you were sleeping so well. Give yourself a moment to get used to this.”  
  
This? Did he mean being awake?  
  
She had been pushing herself a lot lately. Lots of training ground missions. Lots of hours in front of the television or tomes with Archer and Caster. She’d been downing coffee as much as Caster had.  
  
“I guess I’m still a bit tired.” She looked at Gil’s hand, where an identical mark remained on his hand.  
  
Strange. Normally servants didn’t scar.  
  
“Shower, Hakuno.” Gil motioned at the bathroom. “I have some clothes for you when you are done.”  
  
“If it’s alright with you, I think my body is still tired for some reason. I think I just want to rest for the remainder of today and then go training and meeting others tomorrow.”  
  
“That’s fine, Hakuno.”  
  
She nodded, her mind stuck on one other fact about the boy right now.  
  
“Gil,” Hakuno moved forward, pressing a hand to one of his cheeks. “Your face is still red. Did saying all that embarrass you that much?”  
  
“It was just… humbling.”  
  
Hakuno laughed a little, enjoying the other’s moods. If she could have seen her own face somehow, she knew there would be an Archer-worthy smirk on her face as she leaned in closer. Her lips pressed to his, teasing and deep before pulling away.  
  
“I meant it, Gil,” Hakuno told him.  
  
“I know, my empress. We wouldn’t be feeling this way if you hadn’t.”  
  
“I’ll be right back after my shower.”  
  
The teen smiled at her, nodding. “I’ll have a feast waiting in here for you when you get out, my empress. Take your time and indulge. You need to indulge more.”  
  
“I guess that’s what I have you here to help me with, don’t I?” She turned heading towards the bathroom.  
  
“I suppose you do,” the teen replied, almost as though speaking to himself.  
  
Her eyes drifted back to him a moment as she closed the bathroom door, finding him cradling the tome to his chest, his eyes glued to her as the candlelight flickered on his features.


	5. Chapter 5

“Lancer!”  
  
“Cu Chulainn!”  
  
“Useless priest servant!”  
  
Archer could already see the idiot wincing, not wanting the reminder of his work under Kotomine as he looked at his companions. Cu Caster was already snickering. Prototype frowning a little as he glanced their way.  
  
“Gilgamesh Caster. Child.” He greeted the first two before he paused a minute. His gaze flickered over to him. “Archer.”  
  
“Enough of that. We need your assistance.” Caster Gil settled on the other side of the table, snapping his fingers as a servant walked by. “Speaking of- Circe. Food.”  
  
The servant bowed lightly. “Of course, king of mages.”  
  
Lancer was groaning already. “Why do I feel like I’m trapped in hell with you lot?”  
  
“There’s no time for your self-loathing ways.” Archer settled next to his Caster self, picking a grape from the man’s plate as the food was set down. “We require you to kill a version of us that has appeared in Chaldea. The sooner the better.”  
  
“You want me to kill you?”  
  
“A teenaged version of us has appeared. They are currently hoarding our master’s time and energies and she is against us fighting him.”  
  
“She made Enkidu stop us,” Gil Caster pointed out.  
  
Enkidu had held them all back, chaining them in place for over an hour while the two had gotten away. Rather than listening to them, they had simply sat on the windowsill, whistling away until Jack and Nursery had come along to join. Thankfully, the two children had played on Enkidu’s whims and gotten them to release the lot of them.  
  
But Enkidu had warned them that they would chain them up again if Hakuno wanted it done.  
  
Which meant- Lancer. Lancers were good against Archers.  
  
Cu Alter snickered, stealing from Gil Caster’s plate as well.  
  
Lancer merely groaned. “So you want me to ignore your master and kill this kid before they do anything you wouldn’t like?”  
  
“Method and length of kill time doesn’t matter. Just kill him.”  
  
Proto Cu looked around a moment before shaking his head. “I don’t think that’s a good plan.”  
  
“Teenagers,” Archer waved the boy’s words off, keeping his gaze to the other lancer. “Come on, Cu. You’re always up for a fight. I’ve got a problem and this problem needs taken care of. You’re always looking for an excuse to fight me. This is your chance to kill me.”  
  
“Don’t do it,” Proto Cu growled. “If they’re who I think they are, then you don’t want to mess with them. They’re almost as powerful as Archer, they’ve got a thing for looking down at people and questioning humanity, and-“  
  
Lancer raised a hand. His eyes met Archer’s.  
  
He knew it wouldn’t be an easy battle. Being who it was, the lancer would find himself in for a battle that would be worthy of an epic. That was the kind of thing that the other enjoyed though. He liked the challenge of battle. He was not going to be one to turn down-  
  
“I’ll fight him.”  
  
Archer paused, glancing over his shoulder at the man nearby. He scoffed, “Arthur, you’re a saber. You’re naturally weaker than me.”  
  
“I have fought against him before.”  
  
“Did you win?”  
  
Arthur nodded, looking at the lot of them.  
  
“I could fight him as well,” Cu Berserker growled. “I’m bored. So long as Gudako is approving, I could indulge in fighting and killing a servant in this place.”  
  
“Why don’t we let Hakuno resolve the problem?!” Proto Cu looked at them all, shaking his head as he stood up. “We don’t do this when Gudako has a new servant come. You’re all acting like children!”  
  
“Cu Caster,” Gil Caster looked over at his counterpart. “Contain your young self. He talks nonsense.”  
  
“He has a point,” Cu Caster looked over at them all as he motioned his younger self to sit. “We can plan out who gets to kill your younger self all we want, but Gudako won’t like it and Hakuno will be ticked with us. Knowing Hakuno and Gudako as well do, they’d probably do everything they know bothers us in revenge for messing with the balance.”  
  
“You aren’t proposing that we simply allow this to continue, do you?”  
  
“Mage King,” Cu Caster shook his head. “Shouldn’t we begin with Gudako?”  
  
“Did I hear my name?”  
  
Archer turned, his arms reaching out immediately to grab the little red head from where she stood. He glared at her, enjoying the fact that Berserker was already helping him keep the woman from escaping.  
  
Useful pets were hard to come by. Hakuno should’ve made Cu Berserker hers instead of the brat.  
  
“Ah- shit. She told you I lied to let her sleep alone, didn’t she?” Gudako cursed, looking around. “Shit. You probably had her come to your room late this morning.”  
  
“I had to go find her, Gudako.” Archer growled. “And you’ll never guess what was with her.”  
  
“Ah- I wouldn’t.” The woman nodded, holding his hands as she tried to free herself from the grip. “I wouldn’t have the foggiest. You should totally let me go and let me be away from Cuserker so you can tell me while I eat.”  
  
“You’re a little late for breakfast, Gudako,” Gil Caster pointed out.  
  
“It’s lunch time,” she told him.  
  
“Woman, I am speaking to you. Do you lack the ability to focus in on me?” Archer narrowed his gaze further. “You gave my master something for summoning and she has summoned a pathetic excuse of me.”  
  
“Sh-she summoned another you?!” The sound that escaped the woman was something between a squeal and a cry of amusement. “OH! That’s so funny. That’s so damn funny. Ohhh, she’s so bad at summoning anything other than you. Can you imagine?”  
  
“You find this funny?” Both himself, his caster self, and child self purred the question at her.  
  
“Yes, oh my god, yes.” Gudako was laughing so hard. “I can just see her in the chamber now, sitting there like ‘I gotta do this before Gilly-kins finds out, and then you pop right up from the circle.” Her smile was bold, wide as she looked at the others around them. “Guys, come on. One of you has to find this funny as well. She’s totally, one hundred percent, tied to the hip with Gil. Watch, she summons again and there’s like a woman or an old man Gil next. OR A BABY! AH! She’d make a fun mom.”  
  
The laughter was coming out harder as Archer shook her.  
  
“THIS IS NOT FUNNY, GUDAKO!”  
  
“It is,” She cooed, head lolling back. “It’s so funny.”  
  
“WOMAN! WE NEED HIM DEAD!”  
  
“God, yeah. No…” Gudako shook her head, wiping at one eye. “You can kill him if Hakuno says, but not unless she says.”  
  
“What kind of shit is that? You’d let her keep multiple-“  
  
“Hakuno is a master here,” Gudako argued. “Now, while the Mages Association isn’t really aware of her, I don’t want to go ruling over her like some master over a servant. She summoned little Gilly. She gets to decide what happens to him.”  
  
“You caused this!”  
  
“I did.” She didn’t argue with Archer’s statement. “I am proud of her, although she really wanted a saber…” Her eyes drifted to Arthur. “…But~ I don’t want to give up anyone. Not right now. Anyway, Hakuno decides what happens with him. That’s my take on things.”  
  
“Damn it.” Archer moved to stand, releasing the woman roughly as he looked around. “I will just persuade Hakuno that she doesn’t need such a flimsy excuse of a king. It won’t take long.”  
  
“Ah, famous last words.” Gudako leaned against Arthur, having been caught by the young king as she had fallen. “You’re doomed, Archer. You’re gonna be in charge of another you. How fun.”  
  
“He is not in charge of us,” Caster and Child Gil both complained.  
  
They were, but that didn’t matter. Archer turned, heading towards the door as the others continued to argue with Gudako. A useless gesture, but it at least left him with the opportunity to go find his master himself.  
  
Most likely, the pestilence of a being had taken his woman back to her room. The servant had completely changed that useless space, making it far more inviting and mildly plain in ways to suit her tastes. Rather than the patterns and furs that he had been indoctrinating Hakuno towards, the boy had tried to suit the room towards her. There were furs, but bleached ones, left to pale in comparison.  
  
The vases and knick-knacks he had chosen were also of plainer qualities, failing to impress in the way his own room managed for his woman.  
  
The boy was trying to woo his woman.  
  
That above any and everything else was pissing him off. It would have been one thing for him to fall slowly like his other selves had. Child Gil had talked marriage, but he was a child and Hakuno had paid him no heed. Caster had stolen her time and time again, but she had crawled back to him and soothed any ire.  
  
Both the other two had come to his side, finding their place since Hakuno was for him. Truly and wholly for him.  
  
This younger him, the Proto of sorts of his duplicates, was not like that. Hakuno ran to him, not away.  
  
Turning at the end of the corridor, Archer stared at the wall.  
  
Her room had been the third door in this hallway.  
  
Yet, the door was gone.  
  
He looked around again, studying the hallway and retracing his steps. Once again, he went to the same hallway and found himself staring at the empty wall.  
  
The door had been right there. He had seen it and he had gone through it this morning. If the place hadn’t been oozing mana, he would have been able to feel if something was going on, but he found himself instead running his hand over the wall where the door should have been.  
  
Smooth.  
  
Cold.  
  
No door in sight.  
  
The hell was happening?  
  
Hakuno had been right beyond this wall this morning. She had opened the door to him and he had embraced her. Given, he had lost his temper, but she had needed a firm talking to. She had tricked him and his others. She had slept alone and after they had just gotten rid of her nightmares. He and Caster had been pushing themselves in the training grounds, pushing her to work harder so that she was tired for bed.  
  
And then, in return, she had summoned another.  
  
“Hakuno!”  
  
He called out, just on the off chance that she was nearby. Perhaps there was some kind of magic blocking him from feeling or seeing the door.  
  
“Hakuno!”  
  
Nothing.  
  
There was little choice. He wasn’t a caster. He couldn’t tell shit in this damn place when it came to magecraft. He rerouted back to the kitchens, finding his caster self surrounded by the other casters. His conversation was low, keeping between the lot of them before their eyes met.  
  
“…Leave me.”  
  
The casters dispersed.  
  
“Where is Hakuno, Archer?”  
  
“That’s my damn question. Hakuno’s room has disappeared.”  
  
“Rooms don’t disappear. Did you become lost?”  
  
Archer just crossed his arms.  
  
As though he would forget the directions to his own master’s chambers. He had been the one to originally set it aside when Gudako had complained. It was isolated, perfect for when the other master set her foot down and he needed to destroy other rooms to expand it to his tastes. Instead, it had remained mostly empty, unused until last night.  
  
No, he knew where his master’s room was.  
  
“I see…” Caster shut his eyes, sighing. “I suppose I will help you locate it. We need to find Hakuno before something happens. I have a rather bad feeling in regards to this mess.”  
  
“Find Hakuno, Caster.”  
  
The mage king sighed, moving to stand up. That tired gaze flickered to him a moment before he was heading for the door. “Let’s confirm that the woman’s room is indeed missing before we proceed further.”  
  
“Fine.”  
  
Once more, they moved through the hall, avoiding Enkidu and Kid Gil murmuring to one another as they played with the other children in Chaldea. They both waved, earning a nod from the clay being before they meandered on.  
  
Right to the hallway from before.  
  
Right to the wall where Hakuno’s door had been.  
  
“…Magecraft.”  
  
“Can you break it?”  
  
Caster looked over at him, glaring. “Do you even sense it?”  
  
“No. How long until the door appears?”  
  
“As long as it takes for the boy to make it appear again or I crack how this magic works.” Caster ran a hand through his hair, cringing at the fact his turban was still gone. He had given it to Hakuno and it had vanished when she had sprung forth to protect their younger self.  
  
“Crack this problem and then inform me. I’ll take care of the child myself.” Or have Arthur with him. The boy had mentioned beating him before. It wouldn’t be difficult to kill him if the kid was outnumbered.  
  
“Crack this- Do you realize what kind of magic this is?”  
  
“Enlighten me.”  
  
“I don’t even know!” Caster glanced at the door again. “Whatever the boy is doing, I don’t trust it. This is older magic. I wouldn’t put it past the kid to use something from one of the migrants that wandered through Uruk. If so, there’s all kinds of different ways that the boy could have done this.”  
  
“So how long will this take?”  
  
“Days? Months? I don’t know. It’s just not right.” Caster shook his head. “I cannot focus with you hounding me.”  
  
“I will assist.”  
  
“You wish to study then? Actually read?”  
  
“I want my master, Caster.”  
  
Caster stared at him a moment before the gates opened. A collection of pillows and cushions formed around them before books fell. Dozens of books hit the floor, following by parchments and tablets.  
  
“Sit.” Caster murmured. “Read. Inform me of any barricade spells.”  
  
“How bothersome.” His master truly owed him for this vigilance on this matter. Whenever he managed to find this spell and squelch this low life from their existence, he was going to be thinking of a way to get the woman to understand that there was no other servant that was necessary. She would understand and then she would apologize. Profusely.  
  
“It is,” Caster agreed, settling in as well. A bottle of wine came forth, followed by two glasses as the two settled in. “Drink, Archer. You are too temperamental when sober.”  
  
“I live with myself twice over. It is bound to put a man in a bad mood.”  
  
“You have a temperament that is beyond any of us, but I will not complain. You will do as I want to do in the end. Your overactive means of ensuring my success are useful. Please continue.”  
  
“Your laid back idiocy ensures my success as well.” He sipped at the wine, nodding. “Suitable. From my corner of the gates?”  
  
“Your taste is my taste. It is only natural you would find no fault.”  
  
They settled in again, silence consuming them as they researched.  
  
Or more- Caster researched.  
  
There was something wrong with the fact that Hakuno had run into the center of the fighting. She wasn’t one to get involved in that manner. She wasn’t one to take side with another him. The brat’s flowering nonsense was cringeworthy at best. They lacked any kind of rational maturity that she had found with him.  
  
Hakuno had been quiet the day before, now that he was thinking about it. Rather than being entirely into the fighting in the training grounds and being involved in the usual afternoon activities, she had been caught up in her own thoughts. Even relaxing in his arms, she had seemed distracted.  
  
Gudako had ruined his opportunity to ask her what was going on in her head. A thing he had not been looking forward to asking.  
  
He had tried giving her wine to loosen her tongue too.  
  
From his own goblet, now that he was considering his actions more.  
  
The woman would have taken note of such things. She knew he treated her as he had treated only Enkidu prior to her. She must have known that she was something of some value, despite her plain features and her lackluster choice in attire and things…  
  
Except him, naturally.  
  
“You’ve been reading that text for over two hours,” Caster commented, drawing him from his thoughts. “Is the more formal Sumerian confusing to you? I figured you would remember some-“  
  
“They’re fine. I am not as easily interested in such paltry magic tricks.”  
  
Honestly, he wasn’t sure what the tablet even said. He hadn’t bothered to read.  
  
“I see,” Caster shut his eyes a moment, nodding. “Perhaps, if you wish to go find Enkidu or our Child self to assist me-“  
  
“I will find that damn spell.”  
  
He delved deeper into the texts, moving on from the one he had held in his hands. Comments on the healing of Gula, spells and charms for invoking Ishtar’s blessings for sexual encounters: There were a great deal of useless nonsense collected amongst the script.  
  
The further in he found himself looking, the more his mind rebelled against this practice.  
  
If this had been a normal day, he would have awakened to Hakuno at his side. She would have already been up with Caster, arguing with him about clothing again. He and Enkidu would have resolved the fighting, paying no mind to Child Gil’s attempts at swaying Hakuno to love him more. They would have wandered to breakfast, indulged in a meal together before heading to training.  
  
Perhaps they would have gone to a singularity, perhaps Uruk.  
  
Hakuno was fond of the place now. After going a few times, she enjoyed the fountains and the gardens.  
  
He himself was a rather large fan of them as well, finding good places where his guards to leave cushions so he could throw Hakuno onto her back and take her amongst the flowers. The dull things needed something to liven them up. Caster was forever angered when finding their little areas of indulgence.  
  
Upon their return, they would have another meal. Most likely, the meal would be taken in their room, with Hakuno insisting that they bathe and clean themselves up.  
  
He would lay her out in their bed again, paying no heed to the others in their bed as he pulled his woman into his arms. His lips would press against that forehead, waiting for her to finally get the words out.  
  
He wanted to hear her say she loved him.  
  
Her emotions were so close to leaking out. They were just there, beyond the walls she put up so well. Even when he took her, she merely said she cared about him. She told Caster and his child self the same thing.  
  
She cared about them.  
  
She cared about him.  
  
Over and over, she said it. It had become a singular pet peeve of his. That damn caring phrase stabbed at him in the night, awakening him and pissing him off all the more. He had gone so far as to start waking her up, murmuring to her.  
  
Perhaps she needed to hear him say affections.  
  
The woman was clueless as to what pleasure was. She didn’t understand all the ways their bodies could speak to one another. Perhaps the method of expressing the depths of her emotions was simply lacking the words to come out.  
  
Indulging this thought, he had taken to waking her and telling her what he was feeling. Never outright. Not yet. He needed to hear her say the words first.  
  
He would not ask for them either. He was not a slave, begging for scraps from their master.  
  
“Shit.”  
  
“Hmm?”  
  
There was no stopping the mage king as he crumbled, body wrapping around his one hand as pain erupted within his own. Looking down, Archer watched as something, somewhere in the universe, began to tear at his skin, the two sides slowly forming back together into an unseemly scar.  
  
“Fuck… fuck fuck…” Caster slammed his foot against the wall nearby, tears forming in his eyes as he tried not to cry out in pain.  
  
As quickly as it had begun, it was over.  
  
The caster slowly moved to sit up, holding the same hand that Archer knew the scar was on for himself.  
  
“What the hell is this?” Archer growled.  
  
Caster just stared at his hand, frowning.  
  
“Caster, you imbecile. I asked what this is!” Archer waved his scarred hand before the other.  
  
“I… I don’t know,” the king responded, voice wavering. His eyes flickered over to his hand. “Does yours look the same?”  
  
They moved closer to one another, comparing the scars.  
  
Identical, right down to the way that they glinted in the light above them. It looked jagged, like someone had taken a weapon and tore through their skin.  
  
“What does it mean, Caster?”  
  
“Archer, if I knew what it meant, then I would be telling you.” Caster looked at the texts around them, cursing as he kicked them aside and stood up. “This is absurd! Kings sitting on a floor, waiting around an invisible door like children waiting to be let into their parents’ room! HAKUNO!”  
  
The man began to beat on the wall.  
  
“HAKUNO! COME OUT THIS INSTANT! YOUR SERVANTS ARE SCARRED!”  
  
And he was the one referred to as childish. His caster self was spending far too much time indulging the children around this place. He had lost his senses.  
  
Still…  
  
Archer stared down at the wound, thinking.  
  
It was like a pact wound. He had seen these on some of the caravan owners who had wandered through Uruk. Where had they been from?  
  
“HAKUNO!”  
  
Caster’s yelling was unnecessary. Sipping at the wine again, Gilgamesh began to feel a dull buzz begin. Perfect for pondering.  
  
The caravans often came from the north and the west. If it was something relating to the west, he could inquire with Ozymandias. The pharaoh was often well versed in the things the caravans spoke of from that direction. When they had been drunk enough to feel in the mood for such talk, they had spoken of things like that many times.  
  
The north though…  
  
He looked around, frowning.  
  
“Caster.”  
  
Caster’s pounding stopped, his gaze flickering over to him.  
  
“Caster, all these texts are from around Uruk.”  
  
“Of course,” Caster nodded at that. “If the boy is using spells to block the door, he would use Uruk magic. The temples were an important part of our life.”  
  
His life.  
  
Archer downed his glass and poured another, sipping at it before he looked around again.  
  
That wasn’t quite right.  
  
Caster may have remained near the palace, but he had not. He had wandered out to the battlefields despite their mother’s attempts to stop him. He had climbed into caravans, beating idiots and reading through their texts. He borrowed some for his own amusement, leaving money behind so the caravans would not come searching for them again.  
  
He had read through many of those texts as a young man, enjoying their nonsense and blasphemy until he was old enough to indulge in the temple practices. His interests had moved on towards the practice of sexual conduct with the temple maidens. Later, he had found Enkidu.  
  
“We need mine,” Archer murmured.  
  
“Yours?” The man paused from his yelling. “What are you talking about?”  
  
“The texts I got from the caravans of the north.” Archer looked over at him. “They should be in the gates as well.”  
  
Caster stared at him. “What are in those texts?”  
  
“Curses, bonding methods, embalming methods for in the mountains, ways to inflict pain upon your enemies without making them able to know it was you.” He had almost indulged in such things, before he found himself bored with the idea. If he were to attack, he wanted them to know who it was doing it. The fighting was the best part of having an enemy.  
  
“Bring them forth,” Caster growled, settling back down onto the cushions next to him.  
  
“There’s one in particular that I remember,” Archer told the man, “It was from the north, written in the other’s tongue. It talked about the land of the gods and customs amongst them.”  
  
“Useless, of course,” Caster pointed out. “Doing as they do would have immense ramifications. Not to mention the way people write of them is-“  
  
“Some of it was cringeworthy. Indeed,” Archer frowned as the texts poured forth.  
  
The tome was missing.  
  
“Archer?”  
  
“It’s not here.”  
  
“What do you mean, it’s not here?”  
  
Archer turned his attention back to the caster, his brows furrowing. “What do you mean, what do I mean? If I say it is not here, then I mean it is not here. I don’t know what idiocy has taken over in that mind of yours, but what I have said is straightforward.”  
  
“What was in that text, Archer?”  
  
“Gods customs, you idiot. I have told you. Listen to me when I tell you things.”  
  
The idiot was further lost to humanity and his mind than he had first thought. Was he actually becoming a mongrel or was he merely wanting to indulge in their mindlessness?  
  
“Archer, you have given our younger self access to something that should have been destroyed. There is no telling what he has done with Hakuno. There’s no telling what he has done to us!” The man held up his hand, the scar on his palm standing out proudly against his skin. “This could be the symbol of our impending death! We could die on Hakuno and Enkidu and then what? Do you know if this affects how the grail would be able to summon us again?”  
  
“Silence, Caster, I am thinking.”  
  
“Do you even know what kind of things he could do to Hakuno and Enkidu in our absence? Hakuno could end up being trapped in her bed, unable to move or feel. Enkidu could become a pile of unmoving clay with whatever is in those texts!”  
  
“SILENCE! I am thinking!” The man was destroying his buzz with his incessant worries.  
  
They needed to think rationally about this. Whatever was going on, they needed to consider their options and follow direction of some sort.  
  
“GILGAMESH!”  
  
“Not this woman,” Caster growled, rubbing at his head. “I have hardly been able to relax today as things are.”  
  
“GILGAMESH! WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU?”  
  
Archer glared in the woman’s direction as well, finding Ishtar moving fast. She stopped before them, motioning at their pile.  
  
“Great. You cause problems for us all and then lay around on the floor like the half breed that you are. Excellent! Thanks for making problems for the rest of us to have to clean up!”  
  
“Woman,” Caster looked up at her, barely able to hold back that anger of his from the looks of it. “I understand that you are incapable of human emotions as much as you are incapable of being a woman in general, but your nonsense is intolerable at this time.”  
  
“OH! Funny. That’s funny.” She looked over at him, making Archer roll his eyes.  
  
“I am with Caster on this, woman. Leave us.”  
  
“Not until I find out who this being that you’ve bonded yourself to is.” Ishtar glared at the two of them. “The gods just contacted me during my tea time to bother me with this. My tea time! Do you know how hard I have to work to arrange my tea separate from these meager lesser servants? Do you know how hard it is to find a good tea? No, you don’t.” The woman huffed, brushing her hair back as she pouted. “Everything is fucked up and it’s entirely your fault!”  
  
“Language,” Caster growled.  
  
“She is incapable of proper speech just as she’s incapable of being a lover to anyone but herself and her father, Caster. We cannot expect much from her. She most likely was sleeping with lancer recently.” She had a talent for making Cu Chulainn lancer and Emiya chase after her, tormenting both their dead souls with her whims.  
  
“NO! You don’t get to do that to me!” Ishtar screeched the words like the banshee that she was. “Do you know what this means? There is only supposed to be so many gods. We all closed off the land of the gods! We closed off most of the old magic! We are just heroic spirits now!”  
  
“Your yelling is destroying my tolerance of you,” Caster and Archer told her together.  
  
“Where is this being? It is not Enkidu, they have no soul!”  
  
“Words, woman.” Caster shook his head. “Use words woman.”  
  
“Do I need to put these kinds of stupid things into simpler words for you both? Are you both that stupid?” She laughed, leaning back a little as she crossed her arms. “Wait. Of course you both are. Who am I kidding? You both probably are stupid to this extent from being split apart into three.”  
  
“I’m going to pound on the wall again,” Caster told him, earning himself a nod.  
  
“I will resume looking through texts, I suppose,” Archer replied.  
  
“YOU BONDED WITH SOMETHING!” Ishtar screamed it at them, stomping her feet on the floor. Her heels cracked dangerously. “You stupid men! You bonded your soul to someone and it’s made them divine as well! Your mother felt it first and the other gods are feeling it as well! We all sense their presence and it’s here in Chaldea. Whatever you did, it’s messed with the land of the gods! It’s made the land expand!”  
  
Expand?  
  
Archer snorted. “Listen to her, Caster. Bonded our soul. Expanded the land of the gods. Can you believe this nonsense?”  
  
Caster paused, his back turned.  
  
“Woman,” Archer leaned back, smirking at her. “No, that is an insult to women in general. Useless goddess, we would have no need for bonding ourselves to anyone. The only thing that could come of that is trouble. The gods would realize our interests and come to look into things.”  
  
“Fine! Don’t tell me!” Ishtar turned, huffing loudly as she brushed her hair over her shoulders and glanced their way. Her eyes glinted with malice. “Don’t blame me when the gods decide to mess with Uruk. While I am the patron goddess of your quaint little kingdom, I am still underneath the other gods. If they deem that you must bring your little god or goddess to the land of the gods, there is nothing I can do to assist. The longer you wait, the more your mother will wonder if she even has her son’s love as well.”  
  
Storming away, she turned the corner and vanished.  
  
“Is she ever not underneath another god?” Archer growled after her. His eyes drifted to Caster, frowning. “What’s wrong with you?”  
  
“Hakuno is in the room with our younger self.”  
  
“He is.”  
  
“If he decided to use what was on that text to bind himself to Hakuno…”  
  
Archer paused, staring at the other man.  
  
There was no possibility that Hakuno would be bound to him. The first and foremost reason being that she simply did not hold feelings for him in that degree. The next reason being the ramifications. Hakuno would be in danger. The gods didn’t take kindly towards them. He wasn’t fond of the gods either. If someone became too close to them again…  
  
“Let me see your hand, Archer.”  
  
“What? Why?”  
  
“I need to see something.” Caster motioned for the hand again. “Let me see.”  
  
Archer held out his hand, watching the other carefully as he studied the mark. His fingers pressed against it. A searing pain ruptured forth, making him hiss. It rippled through his system a moment before he yanked his hand back.  
  
“The hell was that!”  
  
A door appeared behind Caster. The two of them stared at it.  
  
“What the hell is this?”  
  
“Barriers need the person to concentrate.” Caster murmured. “I just bothered our younger self into losing his concentration.”  
  
“And you had to use my hand?”  
  
“I do not like pain in particular,” Caster replied. “You were an appropriate substitute.” His voice was shaking anyway though. He was not untouched by the pain.  
  
The caster turned the knob, throwing the door open. Once more in his holier-than-thou attitude, the caster strolled through the door, finding the duo in the room. “What have you done, Proto self?”


	6. Chapter 6

Hakuno stared at the outfit that the other held up.  
  
“Do you not like it?”  
  
She didn’t… dislike it. The short, sleeveless button up was innocent enough. The purple plaid skirt was a bit billowy, but again- it wasn’t bad either.  
  
“Where did you find this?” She asked him.  
  
“I kept clothing in my place beyond this world,” Gil told her, smiling proudly. “For some reason, I kept things for women. I must have sensed in some form or another that I would find you for they seem to be your size.”  
  
“Alright, well.” She accepted the clothes from him, turning around to head back into the bathroom. “Thank you.”  
  
“Hold on!”  
  
“What is it?”  
  
“May I… Um…” He paused, turning his face away.  
  
She had undergarments on. If he was asking to help her get dressed…  
  
“Is there anything special that I need to do for this skirt, Gil?”  
  
“Anything special?”  
  
“Women’s clothes can be confusing sometimes.” Hakuno held up the garments a bit. “If you wanted to help me get dressed, I wouldn’t be against it.”  
  
“I suppose I could show you favor this once, Hakuno.” The boy snorted, brushing a hand through his hair. His orange shirt he had changed into rode up a bit, showing off his midriff slightly. “I am a man of great compassion after all.”  
  
What a hero, Hakuno thought, letting her robes drop once more before she handed him the skirt. Her hands busied themselves with putting the button-up on, her fingers slowly moving down from the top, buttoning the thing into place as Gilgamesh knelt down in front of her. His eyes drifted down, focusing in as he slowly lifted her legs one at a time.  
  
His gentle hands went upwards, slipping her into the center of the fabric. When she was in it, he slid the skirt up, averting his gaze shyly away as he approached her thighs.  
  
“I’m not that fragile, you know,” Hakuno told him.  
  
“You are far too precious, Hakuno.” The teen’s face was red again. “I am still trying to wrap my mind around the fact that I have you here with me, to stay at my side.”  
  
“I’m not going anywhere,” she replied. Moving to her knees as well, she buttoned the skirt into place and smiled at him. “Whatever happens, we’re going to handle this together. If anything tries to tear us apart, we’ll put a stop to it. That’s just how we are.”  
  
The teen hummed, nodding. “That’s true.”  
  
“Then why don’t we wander out together again.” Hakuno leaned in closer. “We could wander to Uruk or we could ask a couple servants that I know and get along really well with to join us for training. I want to show you the world I have been living in.”  
  
In time she would get the other Gilgamesh duplicates to stop and listen as well.  
  
“You have such optimism about this place.” Gilgamesh smiled at her, pulling her closer. His hands went around his neck a moment before he pulled off his necklace. “Here, you feel like you don’t have enough on.”  
  
His hands worked carefully, fixing the necklace into place.  
  
“This is actually heavy,” she pressed a hand to the gold piece, feeling the teen kiss her cheek.  
  
“Kingship is a heavy burden that I’ll someday take control of. In the meantime, I just wear the mantel and ignore their politics.”  
  
He was going to earn himself trouble if he ignored the politics in Uruk though.  
  
Caster spent a great deal of time focused on the problems, offering his thoughts to the farmers and people of Uruk while participating in the different ceremonies that were required of him. Sometimes he would disappear with Enkidu for days at a time, trapped within negotiations and other dealings. Sometimes he even had his younger self join in, claiming the child needed more time to learn about his future.  
  
Normally, child Gil would return to talk about how he had run away to see his mother.  
  
When had this Gil gone into being a king, she wondered. It had to be soon. He was old enough to start making decisions. The people of Uruk would have grown tired of waiting for him to become old enough.  
  
“Hakuno.”  
  
“Hmm?”  
  
Gil pulled her closer, wrapping his body around hers. He looked far different in the typical modern attire. If he hadn’t worn the necklace that he had put on her, she would have almost said that the boy’s taste in fashion was closer to her own.  
  
“I think I would be best for us to go to Uruk or to a time similar to when I was summoned last.”  
  
“You were summoned before?”  
  
“I was.” He grinned. “It was more modern in some ways. I wandered the city and dealt with all kinds of idiots, but it was fun. We could indulge in cuisine from there and take this train that goes through the underground. I could find us a place with a view of the whole world from its windows.”  
  
Archer.  
  
All she could see was Archer in that statement.  
  
“Sure.” Hakuno grinned at him. “We could spend a few days there to see what its like and maybe just have a break. I think things need to calm down around here anyway.”  
  
“Hakuno, my sweet starlight,” he held her so close, pressing his face to her neck. “I will treat you right. I swear it.”  
  
“I know you will. I know.” She held him back, laughing a little at him.  
  
He had tried his best, despite being young and stupid when it came to his other selves.  
  
A searing pain ran through her arm, making her curse as she pulled away from him. Waving her hand, she scowled.  
  
“What the hell was that?”  
  
Gilgamesh climbed to his feet, weapons coming into fruition as the door opened.  
  
Caster strolled in, looking over at them and scowling. “What have you done, Proto self?”  
  
“What the hell are you doing in here?” Proto glared at him, preparing to leap. “How dare you enter our chambers!”  
  
“Hakuno!”  
  
“Archer?” Hakuno stood up, watching Archer look around his caster self.  
  
“You have pissed off the gods, you stupid brat,” Caster hissed.  
  
“I don’t listen to the gods and I don’t care,” younger- no, Proto Gil, as Caster had dubbed him, replied. “You both should not be in here, but I suppose it doesn’t matter. Hakuno and I are running away together. We’re going to go somewhere where you will both never be-“  
  
Caster hissed something, a series of symbols appearing around the boy before he was tied up, the vines of a thick golden material holding him hostage and making him drop his weapons.  
  
“Damn it Caster!” Hakuno dropped down, but something darted forward, wrapping their arms around her before she found her lips taken by Archer. She couldn’t breathe around him, couldn’t think. The man pulled back, reeking of liquor as those wine colored eyes stared down at her.  
  
“What the hell did he do to you, Hakuno?”  
  
“He did nothing!” Hakuno pushed at him, looking over at the boy as Caster moved to pick him up. “CASTER! I SWEAR TO GOD IF YOU HURT HIM-“  
  
“I cannot, not while what he’s done might hurt you.”  
  
Hakuno paused. “What? What are you both talking about? He hasn’t done anything!” She cupped Archer’s face, leaning in close so he could read her expression. He was stubborn like that, requiring this kind of close contact to get it through his thick head. “He hasn’t done anything. He’s too much like you, Archer. He brought me here. I napped. I showered. I got dressed. Then you both came barging in here and tied him up.”  
  
“Hakuno,” Archer moved to grab her hand, his eyes dropping to her palm before he sighed. “Caster, it’s on her hand too.”  
  
“So I was right.” Caster cursed. “We’re going to be in for a heap of trouble if we don’t do something immediately about this.”  
  
She was so confused. “What are you talking about? This is just from a thing Proto Gil and I did earlier.”  
  
“A thing?”  
  
Archer’s voice was soft, eyes locked with hers.  
  
She hesitated. “I woke up and he wanted me to repeat some lines for him. I didn’t see any harm in it and it’s not like he had me say anything I didn’t mean. Hans had me read poetry and recite it after him all the time.”  
  
“And you didn’t think it odd that your hand was marked from it?”  
  
“My hand was cut. Cuts leave scars sometimes, Gil.”  
  
“You cut my master, child?” Archer turned his attention towards the boy again, watching those eyes glare daggers into him.  
  
“Archer, enough.” Caster moved forward, looking to her next. “Hakuno, you allowed this younger version of ourselves to make you divine. As such, our old gods have come to realize that you exist.”  
  
“That’s not even possible.” Hakuno shook her head. “I didn’t even do anything. I said I committed myself to Proto Gil and that I- um…” She wasn’t going to mention cheesy emotions in front of Archer. The idiot would probably just tease her about them. “I said little emotional things that anyone says.”  
  
“And before that? Did Proto say anything?”  
  
“Ah… No, but I was asleep then.”  
  
Caster picked up the boy’s weapons, running a hand along the blades before one lit up.  
  
His gaze flickered to Archer’s.  
  
“He prepared for when she woke up.”  
  
“So it would seem.”  
  
Her eyes were glued to the cuneiform that was on the weapon, mind reeling. What had he done?  
  
Even as she thought about it, her mind went through the words he had asked her to repeat. Cute, little things. Things that had made them both blush and had seemed like most of his flowery words- just overly affectionate nonsense.  
  
They had mentioned bonding their-  
  
Oh god.  
  
“Master?”  
  
Hakuno leaned against Archer as he held her, covering her mouth as she looked up at him. She wasn’t sure how she was going to explain this. She wasn’t sure if she even knew how. Bound by the soul to Gilgamesh. She was already doomed to eternity with him. They were set to continue on, into the unknown until the world and the universe stopped existing.  
  
What did being bound mean though?  
  
She was too afraid to ask and she was too afraid to know.  
  
“Hakuno,” Archer growled. “Speak to me.”  
  
“I think I need some wine.” She held the king close, shaking her head.  
  
“Let’s take them both back to our room. I need to communicate with Uruk to figure out how to proceed,” Caster offered.  
  
“I will keep you close to me,” Archer murmured to her. “You need to explain what he’s done, but if you don’t know, then simply tell me, Hakuno. I will find out one way or another. If you are aware, I would rather I hear it from you.”  
  
They moved through the halls, her gaze flickering to the darkness around the mountains outside. She could feel her insides feeling the same way that the outside looked: cold, desolate, without any kind of hope.  
  
“Gil,” she murmured as they went. “What happens when two souls are bound together in your culture?”  
  
She asked so quietly she didn’t expect the other to hear her. His hand drifted over her back, rubbing it gently.  
  
“I don’t care for the nonsense that the gods of my time bothered with. You’d be better to ask Enkidu, although they might not know much either. From what I know, it’s something the gods did when they encountered another god or goddess that was stubborn.” Archer murmured. “It was a way to make sure that, should they show interest once, they would be unable to abandon them. You have to remain in contact with them, even if you begin to have doubts about them. Your power combines with theirs. Your life is tied to theirs.”  
  
“Can you stop it?”  
  
“Hakuno, this is a magic done by gods. There’s no going back on it.” Archer held onto her a little tighter, opening the door to their room. The room was surprisingly clean, considering the fact that she had been away from the group since the night before.  
  
“Hakuno!” Enkidu waved from the bed, climbing out and grabbing a robe set hanging from one of the posts to cover themselves. “Welcome back. I was worried for a while there.”  
  
“Hakuno has gone through some things,” Archer told the clay being. “Caster and I are going to interrogate our younger self to find out how far they went.”  
  
“Ah, sex?” Enkidu watched the boy’s face a moment before laughing a little. “Ah, so not sex. I wonder how bad it was.”  
  
Hakuno shook her head, holding onto Archer tighter. Her gaze flickered up to his. “Archer… he did what I asked about earlier.”  
  
“So Ishtar wasn’t lying… Did he do it entirely?”  
  
“I don’t know.”  
  
Archer looked down at her a moment before sighing, holding her out to Enkidu. “Could you keep an eye on Hakuno, my friend?”  
  
“Ah- of course. Of course!” Enkidu was pulling her close, smiling as Hakuno wrapped her arms around them.  
  
“Archer,” Hakuno looked over at the king. “I know what he did might have consequences but… He’s actually a really sweet version of you. I don’t want to see him get hurt. I know you’re mad, but-“  
  
“I won’t kill him.”  
  
Hakuno sighed in relief, leaning against Enkidu and nodding. “I’m so glad. I think you two would really get along if you tried.”  
  
They were too much alike in what they said and offered. Honestly, she could see Archer taking a mentor like role in the boy’s life if they bothered to communicate for a moment. After all, Lancer Cu and his prototype self had bonded and worked together once they had bothered to start talking.  
  
“I’m surprised- Ah, he’s leaving.” Enkidu shook their head as the king turned, following after Caster to go into the baths nearby. The door shut behind them, a lock clicking into place.  
  
“I think we messed up, Enkidu.” She looked up at the clay being, feeling them carry her over to where Archer had set up the television and video games.  
  
“I’m sure it’s nothing that bad.”  
  
“Do you sense anything wrong?”  
  
Enkidu paused, those eyes of theirs glinting a moment before the being sucked in a breath. Their face paled, body shaking.  
  
“Enkidu?!”  
  
“Just kidding!” Enkidu laughed, earning a slap on the shoulder. “I’m messing with you. I don’t sense anything wrong. Then again, I’m only good at sensing when people are coming near and where people are. I don’t really sense details, Hakuno. That would be a waste. You feel more like Gil though, if that means anything. It’s harder to tell the two of you apart.” The being shrugged, “then again, with how often you are together with them, I don’t really feel like it’s odd, just inevitable.”  
  
Hakuno glanced back towards the bathroom, debating with herself on what needed to be done.  
  
Archer had said that he wouldn’t kill the boy, but that left a lot of things open.  
  
“Enkidu,” Hakuno glanced over at the being. “Do you mind running to the dining hall to grab something to eat?”  
  
“I’m supposed to be watching over you.”  
  
“I know, but I’m hungry. I’m not going to leave our chambers anyway. I just might take a peek into the bathroom, but I won’t-“  
  
The being moved forward before she could finish, pressing her back against the couch. Those lifeless, clay eyes gazed deep into her own.  
  
“If you watch them, you must not interfere.”  
  
“I won’t unless-“  
  
“Hakuno.” The being shook their head. “Master, you must understand. They are trying to understand why you feel different. They need to know why it feels like you and them are part of the same whole.”  
  
“I-Is that what I feel like?”  
  
“Please,” the being murmured. “Please don’t interfere. Let them earn their respect with one another. Let them decide how to fix this.”  
  
“Enkidu…” She wasn’t going to get the other to stop. They wouldn’t leave if she didn’t promise anything less than what they asked. The last time they had done this, she had been preparing to fight against Ishtar about bullying Ereshkigal. She had ended up promising to try to get along with the goddess, for no other reason than Enkidu doing this to her.  
  
So her arms wrapped around them, hugging them tight. “I won’t interfere. Just look.”  
  
The being hummed, pulling away and nodding. The humor and life returned to their face as they sat there. “I’m so glad. I don’t want to lose you or find you hurt because you decided to poke around into the business of others. I will go get you something to eat and we will watch some television together. I want to learn more about the worm pit.”  
  
She shuddered at the reminder of their show they were watching when Archer went to sleep. “Please, I don’t want to think about that.”  
  
“I will be back,” they promised, drifting to the door and disappearing around it. The door lock clicked into place as the clay being vanished.  
  
There was no hesitation.  
  
Hakuno rushed to the bathroom, moving to press her hand to the lock. Her mana drifted through, turning the mechanism before it clicked softly. Bless Caster and his lessons on how to use mana for things like this. She shifted the door a crack, looking into the room.  
  
A loud pounding came as she glanced through the crack. Archer’s fists were slamming against the boy’s face as Caster stood nearby, pacing back and forth with the tome Proto had been reading earlier in hand.  
  
“You bound her soul to ours and poured all of our power and her power into one singular force. Do you realize what kind of consequences this has?” Caster’s voice was stern, Archer’s fists pausing a moment so the boy could try to choke out an answer.  
  
His face swollen, Proto snorted. He spat on the floor of the bathroom before looking at his mage self. “Hakuno is my empress. When you are in love with someone, you share everything. I made it so that none of you fakers could take her-“  
  
Archer punched him again, making Hakuno cover her mouth to stop from doing something. She had promised Enkidu, after all.  
  
“You’re an idiot,” Archer hissed. He showed his palm to the boy. “We’re the same, you vile mutt. What you did was tie her to all of us. Every single one.”  
  
“Hakuno is my-“  
  
“She is all of ours now, idiot.” Archer knelt in front of the boy, balancing on the balls of his feet. “Hakuno is going to now be the center of all the gods’ attention now. Do you even remember how much trouble we had to go through with the gods watching us? And we were planned, boy. Our mother had to spend our youth in Uruk with us, unable to visit her home until we were grown. The gods had sensed that we would be useless to them and agreed to let us live so long as we remained living amongst the humans. What do you think they will think of Hakuno?”  
  
“I’ll protect-“  
  
Another hit. He spat out blood again.  
  
“You’re gonna protect her?” Archer laughed softly. “How? You can’t even stop us from hitting you. You’re weak. Your only protection before was that Hakuno was there to stop us. Now she is not in here. It’s you and us.”  
  
“You will have to explain to the gods,” Caster growled. “Tell them what you did and tell them that you will be keeping her fighting here for the remainder of time.”  
  
“I’m not going to do that!” The boy looked between them before focusing on Archer. “Hakuno and I were going to go to Earth. We were going to stay there for a while.”  
  
“Earth?”  
  
“There were a few places I went to there during a grail war. I figured it would be nice to treat her to the view of the cities and to the oceans.”  
  
Archer paused, grabbing a rag from nearby and wiping at his hands.  
  
Caster laughed, “You think they care about that? We need to make sure they know we are not planning anything! The last thing that we want is noncommunication coming to be interpreted as hostile intentions. Do you want Hakuno chased by her friend Ereshkigal and by Ishtar and others?”  
  
“Again, I can protect her.” Proto glared at them. “Ishtar is weak!”  
  
“You want to take her to cities.” Archer moved to stand up, looking over at Caster. “Let him go, Caster.”  
  
“Are you serious? You know this boy will run straight for Hakuno and try to take her away!”  
  
“I said, let him go.” Archer nodded. “Hakuno would enjoy visiting the cities of Earth for a while.”  
  
“You’re both idiots,” Caster breathed. “Idiots! Do you know what will happen if we go ahead and ignore the ramifications of what has happened? We live in Chaldea with Ereshkigal and Ishtar! It would take just a few minutes for them to find us. If they have any assistance, we would be forcing Gudako and Hakuno to-“  
  
“Boy.” Archer lifted the boy’s chin with his hand, holding it in place. “Here’s what’s gonna happen. I’m going to have Caster release you. You will clean yourself up and you will apologize to Hakuno for your deception. She did not know what you were attempting to do. When you are done with that, you will spend time with Enkidu. They deserve your attention and your time as much as Hakuno does.”  
  
Caster went to yell at him, but Archer held up a hand.  
  
“And then, in the morning, we will go to Uruk and travel to the land of the gods. You are going to tell them what I say and then we are going to take Hakuno to the cities of Earth. I happen to enjoy the so called modern times as well.”  
  
“…Hakuno is mine,” Proto panted.  
  
“You will obey me, boy, or I will have Caster lock you away where even Hakuno cannot find you.” Archer smirked, patting his cheek. “I promised Hakuno that I would not kill you, but leaving you in a locked room by yourself for eternity is another thing.”  
  
Hesitation. She could see the boy debating the deal before he nodded. “Fine. I’ll obey. Unless Hakuno says otherwise. She did command me to do what I want.”  
  
Archer grinned, pulling back. “Fine. I’m going to return to Hakuno.”  
  
“I’ll clean him up,” Caster muttered.  
  
Hakuno closed the door, hurrying over to the couch and flopping back down. She turned on the television, pulling up a game and beginning to start a level as Archer opened the door and closed it behind himself.  
  
“Archer?” She paused, looking back to find the man heading her way. “Are you alright?”  
  
“Hakuno,” Archer moved to her side, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her into his lap. “What are you playing?”  
  
“I don’t know. One of your games. I just sent off Enkidu to get something for us to eat.” She handed the man the controller and leaned back, looking up at him. “How did talking to Prototype go?”  
  
“Eh.” Archer flipped through the menu, changing the settings as he shrugged. “He’s a kid, Hakuno. Barely your age. I see what you like about him, I guess, but he’s stubborn and he’s a snot filled brat. I wouldn’t waste my time with him.”  
  
“I wouldn’t have imagined you capable of flowery words like that if I hadn’t met him though.”  
  
The man glanced down at her, raising a brow. “That what you want from me? Flowery words and lies?”  
  
“No,” she sighed. “I suppose not. I hope not everything was a lie. He bound us together.” That had to mean something in the end, didn’t it? He had been so honest in his body language as well. Maybe he hadn’t told the full truth, but he hadn’t necessarily lied to her outright.  
  
Archer just hummed, avoiding something on the screen as he kept his focus on the TV. “If he means so much to you, then I will attempt to tolerate him.”  
  
“Oh?”  
  
“Yeah. We’ll go to Uruk or something tomorrow. I want to show you the gardens that I’ve been forcing Caster to put together behind the ziggurat anyway. I know you have a thing for the more expensive ones and Caster was whining at me to help him rule over Uruk anyway.” He dodged another enemy in his game and grinned. “I just combined my interest with the work. The budget was overkill for the project anyway.”  
  
“You didn’t cheapen the materials in the project he assigned you, did you?”  
  
He would be that kind of idiot, thinking only-  
  
“Woman, I would not do that to my people.” Archer scowled at her, kissing her temple. “Uruk is still mine. As are you. I spoil all that is mine, not just some. They have their roads to the rivers and they were finely made. The gardens were just overflow from the budget. The workers on the project were happy to assist me in the matter.”  
  
“Oh.”  
  
“Mhmm. Oh.” He handed the controller back to her and slipped a hand to her chest, unbuttoning one of the buttons of her blouse. “I want to see you do the next level. I like when the jumpscares make you curl up against me.”  
  
“Of course you do.”  
  
“You put this on,” he pointed out. “Indulge me, my other half.”  
  
“Gilgamesh,” she gave him a look, finding him pausing the game.  
  
“You have become my other half, since you decided to share words with Proto self.” He held up their hands side by side, making her look at the matching marks. “This shows that my godhood is now shared with you and your power, even that which came from the moon cell, is now running through me.”  
  
“So, it’s like a permanent mana transfer of sorts.”  
  
“Don’t know.” Archer hit the pause button again, starting the game back up. “We’ll figure that out tomorrow.”  
  
“Thank you,” Hakuno murmured.  
  
“Hmm?”  
  
“For not killing Prototype. You didn’t need to listen to me. I know that us sharing our power like this isn’t probably a good thing. Still, you listened to me.”  
  
“I indulge your whims from time to time,” the man agreed.  
  
“I really care about you,” Hakuno told him simply.  
  
“Just stay by my side, master,” the man told her once again. No doubt Archer language for I love you.  
  
“I care about you more than anyone else,” she repeated.  
  
The jumpscare that happened a minute later had her shriek, bringing the others and Enkidu rushing into the room. Archer’s laugh had her face turning bright red before she elbowed him.  
  
Asshole.


	7. Chapter 7

“Hakuno.”  
  
Hakuno sighed, leaning into the owner of that voice.  
  
“Hakuno…”  
  
She pulled the other voice closer, holding the person close as she felt the blankets shifting.  
  
“Ah- Hakuno, my moon… I don’t know-“  
  
“Stop being cringy. It’s too damn early, Proto.”  
  
“Stop calling me that stupid name, Ishtar-king.”  
  
“Excuse-“  
  
Hakuno covered the mouth of the person she was leaning against. “Don’t start, Gil. I’m trying to sleep. Proto Gil is just trying to differentiate himself from you all. I don’t mind.”  
  
“He’s irritating,” both Archer and Caster whined.  
  
Enkidu’s amusement could be heard a moment before Hakuno felt someone climb atop her.  
  
“It’s okay if he’s annoying so long as I’m here, right Hakuno?”  
  
“Good morning, Gil.” Hakuno reached up, wrapping her arms around the child and holding him close. Still, she really didn’t feel like opening her eyes. She could just stay like this, holding little Gilgamesh to herself and enjoying good company.  
  
“Hey, little shit. Don’t climb on my empress like that.”  
  
“I have her mark too! We’re more compatible than any of you,” the boy hissed.  
  
“MY EMPRESS DOES NOT BELONG TO YOU!”  
  
“She is not your empress, Proto,” Archer complained, groaning at the teen’s yelling. The body she was holding was gone, her body being yanked from the bed before Hakuno slowly opened her eyes. The bed. It was moving so far away. She could see the collection of other Gilgamesh and Enkidu blearily looking in her direction. Too tired to give chase.  
  
“Archer-“  
  
“Come on, Hakuno. It’s about time we spent proper time together. You’ve been avoiding me for too long.” The door to the bathroom closed in front of her face as they entered the bath, the sound of the water beginning to run a moment before she was settled on the edge of the tub.  
  
“Gil, I wanted to sleep in.”  
  
“Hakuno,” Archer looked up at her, those tired eyes easily starting to cast of fatigue as he looked at her. “Spend time with me already.”  
  
“I played games with you for hours last night.” Or rather, she had jumped a half dozen times in surprise as she, Archer, and eventually Prototype had played games. Archer’s choice had sent her into holding the pillows in front of her, smoothing out her responses and practicing not panicking or reacting to the jump scares. Her phone had been her only savior.  
  
Every time she had jumped, Archer had laughed that much harder. A glass of wine had come her way, being set aside by Prototype before she had been given water, which had also been set aside by Archer.  
  
Enkidu climbed onto the top of the couch, settling in for a while before Caster had yanked them from the couch and onto his lap. Apparently, his work had been frustrating, since she had heard Enkidu comforting him softly.  
  
“You barely reacted at the end.” Archer argued. “You started texting Gudako.”  
  
Who was immensely sorry for her situation, although she had left out the bonding situation.  
  
“Fine, fine. Do you want to play again tonight?”  
  
The king hummed, testing the water as it poured into their bath and pulling her in with himself. Her clothes were barely able to be pulled off before she hit the water. She looked behind herself, turning so she could look at the king properly.  
  
His knuckles were slightly bruised, she noted, pulling them into her own hands so she could see them better.  
  
“It’s nothing,” he murmured.  
  
“You were punching Proto last night.”  
  
“We tussled,” the king relented.  
  
“You punched him in the face repeatedly.”  
  
Nothing. The man merely raised a brow at her.  
  
“I saw you doing it last night when Enkidu was getting food.” She looked up at him. “I can’t say I liked it, but you’re not fighting anymore. I remember Enkidu warning me that men need to fight sometimes to get along later. I don’t like it, but I guess I get it.”  
  
He smiled, shutting his eyes as he sunk deeper into the water. “Forgiving as always, my master. How long did you watch me beat him?”  
  
“I don’t know. I didn’t care to look.”  
  
“But you let me continue. How deep is that love for me, I wonder.”  
  
She didn’t rise to that bait, opting to grab the hair oils nearby and to start washing his hair. Those golden locks darkened slightly when wet, glinting in the lights of the room. Her eyes remained focused on the locks of hair for a while, ignoring that gaze as the king remained silent.  
  
She sighed.  
  
Still nothing.  
  
“So we’re going to Uruk today to talk to the gods?”  
  
“No, we are going to Uruk today so I can show you my gardens that I just built.”  
  
“And also talk to the gods.”  
  
A long sigh came from the man, his hand running through those freshly cleaned locks of his. “The gods can go to the underworld for all I care. They don’t matter in the end. You and I are bound to one another and I am going to share what is mine with you.”  
  
“I don’t want them coming after us. We’ll go talk to them for a few minutes. Just let them know that this was a situation that was really the response of overwhelming emotions. That we’re not going to do anything. If they didn’t get after you for being alive and becoming a heroic spirit, then they won’t come after me for merely protecting humanity with Gudako and the Mages Association.”  
  
“You listened for a while,” Archer observed. “How interesting.”  
  
“I don’t care for what you did, but I trust you.”  
  
“A foolish decision.”  
  
“Yeah, I remind myself of that a lot. Thankfully, you surprise me often.” She smirked his way a moment before the king pulled her close, wrapping his arms around her. One of his hands ran over her breasts, claiming the left one with his hand so he could begin teasing her.  
  
“I am surprised,” Archer drawled, “that you agreed to easily to become bound to me. Your feelings must have been strong for me.”  
  
“I told you that I care about you.” She ignored his hands, shutting her eyes for a moment.  
  
The damn idiot never listened. After all of his careful words and avoiding the phrase I love you, she had taken to using his language. If he wanted things to be different, then he should have just said something. He would have just said something. She wasn’t going to read his mind and she wasn’t going to simply embarrass herself in front of him by saying something that he would mock her for.  
  
At least Proto had made things straightforward.  
  
“Hakuno,” Archer’s head leaned over her shoulder, lips pressing to her shoulder. “I want to see the mark again.”  
  
“You have one on your own hand, Gil.”  
  
“It is not your mark though.”  
  
“They look exactly the same,” Hakuno growled, but the other was already pulling her hand out of the water, stroking the line with his fingers.  
  
“Look at that. Claimed by me in every sense of the word.”  
  
“Mhmm.”  
  
She was over this conversation already. He was going to get insulting. She should have called for Enkidu or someone to join them. Proto would have probably freaked out at the idea of bathing with her.  
  
“Ha-ku-no,” Gilgamesh drawled, lengthening her name as he pulled her closer to him. She could feel his manhood beneath her as he yanked her in. “What was going on in your mind when you said those things, I wonder.”  
  
“You said we were going to go to Uruk today?” Hakuno turned, trying to get the man to focus in once more. This conversation was going to end in nothing but misery. Better to talk about their plans in more detail.  
  
Archer groaned, leaning back. “We are. I’m sure the others will want to join us and I’m sure the little useless goddesses around here will persuade Gudako that they need to go as well.”  
  
“Ereshkigal will come?”  
  
That didn’t actually sound that bad. The goddess of the underworld and her had found so much in common. They both had to deal with Gilgamesh in a more long-term sense. They had to deal with long-term isolation and having very few friends around that weren’t dead. Hell, she had found that the woman also enjoyed lazing about in the sunning areas of Chaldea or wandering through Uruk to enjoy the bath houses and breweries.  
  
“Don’t get so excited,” Archer warned. “She will need to be in her actual role as a goddess rather than as your friend. There’s nothing that says she would be welcoming to a newfound goddess amongst the lot, even one as plain as you.”  
  
He really had a way with words.  
  
“I don’t expect her to show me special treatment,” Hakuno huffed, rolling her eyes at him. “I don’t expect things to be easy either. It’ll be a pain because everything with you is a pain. But it’ll be fine in the end. We always work things out and I happen to enjoy your company.”  
  
The man snorted, returning to leaning his head back.  
  
“Hakuno!”  
  
A pounding came from the door nearby.  
  
“Hakuno! The beast has you in the baths with him?!”  
  
“Beast,” Archer huffed. “Stop your pet before I get pissed off, master. If I hear him refer to me as a beast again, I will take a leaf from Cuserker’s book and show him what true horror looks like. The damn brat was no more brave than you were when things jumped out in that game last night.”  
  
“It’s fine, Proto!” Hakuno called out towards the door. “Archer and I always bathe together!”  
  
“HAKUNO!” The voice was more panicked if anything, earning a laugh from the man beside her before Hakuno felt herself lifted out.  
  
“If I must choose between my hearing being done in by my young self or losing a few moments with you, I will choose the latter. Shut him up and I will join you in a moment.”  
  
Hakuno sighed, leaning over the rim of the tub once more to claim his lips. “I’m sorry about him. He’s just not used to this yet.”  
  
The blond king simply held her close a moment before the boy yelled again. His kiss as strong and demanding as ever.  
  
As she moved away, she could see something setting in, an expression that didn’t look familiar. His eyes almost seemed to dull as he looked away, a wine glass appearing next to him. Even as she pulled it away and poured him some water, she found the king growing quiet.  
  
“Don’t drink so early, Gil. I want to fight with you at your sharpest.”  
  
“HAKUNO-“  
  
“WHY IS IT ALWAYS YELLING!” She stormed at the door, throwing it open before glaring at the young teen. “Always, always yelling! Every time I get up. You always have to yell! I would have been in the bath with him for five minutes! I barely got wet before you started yelling at me!”  
  
The boy’s face was heating up as she stormed forward.  
  
“And another thing, I have already slept with him! I don’t think he can do anything that hasn’t already been-“  
  
A snickering from nearby stopped her tirade, making her look over as Caster covered his child self’s eyes.  
  
“What?”  
  
“Hakuno,” Enkidu smiled. “There’s absolutely nothing going on. Please continue to berate the boy. We’ll just watch.”  
  
“I don’t believe you for some reason,” she sighed. Her hands crossed over her chest, eyes drifting down to see she was still undressed. Her eyes drifted back to Proto, finding him pulling a blanket from Archer’s computer chair and wrapping it around her.  
  
“Y-You were jiggling as you were um…” He shook his head, pulling her into his arms. “I have never seen such defiance before, but as your king and as your other half, I feel no concerns over it. Yell at me as you see fit, but know that I do not want to have my other selves touching you in an unseemly manner.”  
  
As her king.  
  
Hakuno groaned, glancing towards Archer’s computer space a moment before her eyes found the headache medicine. “Can you all get dressed and ready to go? I want to be in Uruk before the other servants are getting up for breakfast. I figure we will just take ourselves…”  
  
She could take Ozymandias, since the pharaoh was the reincarnation of the sun god. It would make sense, since they were going to the land of the gods. But, in order to do that, she would have to wait through the pharaoh’s morning routine. Both he and Nitocris seemed to have a talent for taking their sweet time for makeup.  
  
Charcoal missing? Don’t expect the pharaoh for at least another hour.  
  
Her gaze flickered to her phone as the others began to slowly move around, her eyes landing on her phone before she sighed, calling the woman before she tried to simply text.  
  
“…Dantes, you have to move. I’m on the phone…”  
  
“Gudako.”  
  
The woman on the other end of the line was moving, the sound of banging going on a moment before the woman was yawning into the receiver. “Morning, Hakuno. Why are you such a morning person?”  
  
“Gil’s a morning person.”  
  
“Mhmm…” The woman yawned again, smacking something in the background. “Don’t make me yawn, Dantes. I swear- Anyway,” the woman’s voice directed back to her. “What’s going on?”  
  
“Gil and I are going to go to Uruk with my party. I was wondering if-“  
  
“Naturally, naturally.” Gudako cooed into the phone, “You want me to join you. I’ll wake up some of the other servants and get a group around. I’m sure King Hassan would-“  
  
“Just- less intimidating servants, maybe?”  
  
“Do you have some in mind?”  
  
Hakuno looked around a moment before settling in Archer’s chair, wiping at some crumbs on the desk. “I was hoping that maybe Cu Lancer and Prototype could come, just to kinda show that you can get along with your teenaged self. Maybe also the other two Cus. I I think Gil Caster appreciates Cu Caster’s company and I think Archer and Enkidu enjoy alter’s.” They were at least always wrestling with him.  
  
Gudako laughed. “You sound like Medb.”  
  
“Oh god, please no.” Hakuno shook her head. “Maybe bring Dantes or Phantom too.” They had that unrequited love thing going on that maybe could help Proto over this overkill love interest of his.  
  
“Damn, you’ve thought this through. Give me a moment.” The woman was talking to Edmond again, the sound of her voice muffled for a few minutes as Hakuno shook the computer mouse.  
  
Archer’s background flickered onto the screen, the picture of herself with Enkidu and Archer in Uruk came to life. They had ended up fighting over bedsheets, falling through the open balcony area into the bushes below. Gudako had been laughing as she took the picture.  
  
She could remember Enkidu taking the fall, laughing as Gil had ended up against her chest, her hands grabbing his bare hips.  
  
The woman had gotten a great photo of that moment.  
  
She actually could almost see his-  
  
“Hakuno,” Gudako’s voice returned to the phone. “We’re going to be ready in about twenty minutes. Is there anyone else you want?”  
  
“No, I think we’ll be fine.”  
  
“See you in the rayshift room!”  
  
The phone went silent, Hakuno’s attention turning to the man approaching from behind. Archer’s arms slipped over the back of the chair, eyes drifting to the screen nearby.  
  
“Enjoying yourself?”  
  
“Just reminiscing a bit.” Hakuno smiled a little. “I talked to Gudako. We’re going to take two teams into Uruk.”  
  
“Are you sure that you want to do that?”  
  
“What do you mean?”  
  
“You’re going to Uruk to meet gods, not fight.” Archer lifted her up slowly, heading towards the bed. He waved to Caster, dismissing him as Enkidu dragged the two younger versions of himself from the room. “Since we’re going to see them, I imagine that we will be spending some time amongst them in Uruk.”  
  
“So no cheetah jacket?”  
  
“You find that amusing, don’t you?”  
  
Hakuno shrugged, smiling despite her best efforts not to. “I mean, that jacket is a bit iconic. It’s hard to imagine you not wearing it just because you’re going home.”  
  
“What I wear elsewhere is not necessarily for meetings such as this.” Archer was moving to the closet, pulling out his Sumerian attire. “You will be meeting several gods, or at least one. Meeting them is not necessarily something you want to do dressed like you are going out on the town or enjoying a night in.”  
  
She wasn’t sure if that meant that she needed to find something appropriate to wear, but she wasn’t going to ask. She’d dress for the weather in Uruk. If she required changing, they’d do it there. Gilgamesh wasn’t one to let her sit around unprepared.  
  
With that in mind, she followed after him, pulling out a set of clothes and heading to the bathroom.  
  
“Gudako said twenty minutes. I’m going to take a shower in the meantime.”


	8. Chapter 8

Child Gilgamesh had disappeared.  
  
Standing outside the rayshift room, Hakuno frowned at the other servants. Once more in a khaki uniform and with her hair tied back, she was ready to go. She had Gudako nearby in her Chaldea uniform as well, but they both frowned.  
  
“You couldn’t find him, Enkidu?”  
  
“I’m sure he’s gone ahead,” Enkidu shrugged. “I could not find Ishtar or Ereshkigal either. Emiya was looking for them.”  
  
“Do you want to take others, Hakuno?” Gudako glanced over at her.  
  
“Probably shouldn’t. The longer we wait, the harder this will be.”  
  
Gudako nodded, glancing over at Proto Gil a moment before Hakuno shook her head.  
  
“Sorry, I didn’t introduce you. Everyone, this is Prototype Gilgamesh. He’s the latest servant in Chaldea.” She left it at that, beginning to point out the other servants for Proto. “This is Lancer Cu Chulainn, Cuserker, Cu Caster, Edmond Dantes, and Gudako…”  
  
“And us, don’t forget us.”  
  
Hakuno glanced over as the two turned the corner, waving in the direction.  
  
“Arthur! Proto Cu!” She went to wave, but her body was suddenly behind Proto Gil’s, the boy bringing his weapons into fruition.  
  
“You assholes again.”  
  
“The feeling’s mutual,” Arthur replied, giving a small smile to Hakuno. “Hakuno, I hope you don’t mind. I was concerned when they told me this one was here.”  
  
“It’s fine. Can we please get going though? I don’t want to run any later than we are.”  
  
“We’re not taking them.”  
  
“Is there a problem with them?” Archer moved forward, wrapping an arm around the two men. “Arthur has been quite close with Hakuno and Prototype enjoys spending meals with her. Naturally, I cannot think of anyone who would be more suitable to join us on this venture.”  
  
She and Proto Lancer had eaten together once.  
  
And she wasn’t going to say she was close to Arthur. The other just didn’t like the horror games that Gil played either. Instead, they’d play games on their phones while the other would scare them.  
  
The words weren’t going over well with Proto Gil though. The boy held her close, glaring at the two as Gudako waved them all into the rayshift room and the world around them changed.  
  
Once again, they were in the swirling vortex of time and space. Life and colors flashed all around them, wind whipping at their bodies as they drifted into the singularity. Every second, every position; they splintered as they all landed in Uruk.  
  
The ziggurat stood proudly nearby.  
  
Citizens coasted around them, giving the group a look before they passed by.  
  
Proto Gil glared at the other two his age. “…Just keep away from us.”  
  
“I’m staying within five feet of you whenever you are near your master,” Arthur warned, crossing his arms. “I don’t trust you.”  
  
“The feeling is mutual, mongrel.”  
  
Gudako leaned against Arthur before he could argue, groaning as she held her head. “Stop. Just stop talking. I hate Uruk. Why is it every time we rayshift here, my head feels like it’s being splintered. I think I lost too much mana.”  
  
All three Gilgamesh glared at that, crossing their arms.  
  
“I don’t think we should make you do anything today,” Hakuno pointed out. “Not until you’ve recovered. You need to actually rest.”  
  
Caster moved forward, looking around at them all before he sighed. “Hakuno’s right and I’ve had enough of the arguing. We are in my land and we will abide by my laws… or face consequences.” He pointed at Gudako. “This is going to be a short-term stay but more than one day. You remember where you stayed before, correct?”  
  
“I do.”  
  
“Take your servants and settle in.”  
  
The group under Gudako moved out, the Cus all looking around with interest as Gudako talked about the place mentioned. Alter hoisted the woman over one shoulder, muttering something to earn a grin as Dantes followed in their wake.  
  
How nice to have servants get along. Then again, she did have-  
  
Hakuno paused as she saw Enkidu halfway up the ziggurat. The being’s arms and legs were spread wide, taking the stairs at least two at a time as their body seemed to be more beast than animal. Their hair wiped out behind them, a flag more than hair at this point.  
  
Caster sighed, turning to Prototype next. “Boy, your attachment to Hakuno is quaint and I agree that the other boys have had their eyes wander, but remember our goal here. We are to talk to the gods and leave. Ensuring that happens and happens smoothly is vital. Anything else, including lecherous servants comes second.”  
  
“Hakuno is-“  
  
“We’re not alone,” Archer pointed out, stopping the argument.  
  
“What are you talking about?” Hakuno looked around, expecting to see someone. A part of her had always expected Ishtar to attack her. Especially since she had Rin’s body. It felt like the woman would attack her for being with Gilgamesh. Knowing the other was missing and that the gods weren’t pleased with the situation just made her old fears come back.  
  
There was no one around though.  
  
Random strangers passed quietly.  
  
“I don’t see anyone.” Hakuno frowned, glancing to the other Gils.  
  
“…She is waiting.” Archer moved his hands behind his head, glancing to Caster. “Should we wait since she is?”  
  
“I don’t know. I never could understand that nonsensical woman.” Caster sighed, motioning them towards the stairs after Enkidu. “Come on. We’ll eat and prepare for the day, I suppose. I will have us wander into the land of the gods in the morning. We can recover mana today from the shifting.”  
  
“Come with me, my empress,” Proto beckoned, offering his hand.  
  
“I’m keeping with Archer for right now,” Hakuno replied, grabbing the other’s hand nearby. She was still a bit mad about the whole deceive Hakuno into becoming a goddess by binding their souls together. The boy had simply settled at her side last night and complained about Archer until bed. No apologies. No remorse. If anything, he had made more problems.  
  
Archer was happy to take her hand though, leading the way up the ziggurat with Caster at his side. The indoors of the building had remained the same. Golden archways. Red and gold tapestries and wall paintings.  
  
A large, gaudy throne stood proudly near the back window of the main greeting area, empty except for the single red cloth that lay on it.  
  
“She’s taken over your throne,” Archer noted.  
  
“I will not judge,” Caster murmured, as though reminding himself rather than for Archer.  
  
The place hadn’t changed at all. Aside from the red cloth, the place was as they had left it, even having the same guards nearby. A few advisors were bickering as they moved from one hall to another, bowing in their direction as they went.  
  
They were accustomed to Gilgamesh’s situation of having doubles.  
  
“Enkidu!” She looked around rather than listening to the others, trying to see if she could find the clay being nearby. They had run up the stairs ahead of them, after all.  
  
“Proto,” Caster looked over at the boy. “You’re on Enkidu duty. Find the clay being and bring them to my office if you can.”  
  
“I think I can find the clay being.” Proto crossed his arms.  
  
“I wouldn’t count on it,” Caster murmured.  
  
Giving a look, Proto moved in front of Hakuno, kissing her hand gently. “When I am done finding the clay being, I will come back and show you my home properly. There are a great deal of gardens that I think would impress you and my chambers are so comfortable that-“  
  
“She knows,” Archer growled.  
  
Hakuno cut him a look before nodding.  
  
“Go, Gil. I will see you when you find Enkidu.”  
  
The teen pressed his lips to her knuckles, glaring at the others before he was gone.  
  
“Finally,” Archer grinned, moving forward as several servants moved to offer him a drink.  
  
“From the lady, your majesty,” they murmured.  
  
“She’s in a very good mood,” Caster commented, watching Archer gleefully accept a cup from the guards.  
  
Archer’s expression was one of pure bliss at the first sip, his eyes closing tightly. “There are fewer suitable drinks than this. I must admit the woman knows when to indulge.”  
  
Again with that?  
  
Hakuno looked between the two, watching them simply stand there before she shook her head. If they were going to be stubborn, then fine. She’d give in. The need to know was too great.  
  
“Who are you talking about?”  
  
Caster sighed, “we are referring to our- Geez, Archer. Allow yourself some reserve. That’s not the swill you drink normally. You can actually become quite drunk off of that.”  
  
“I’ll be fine,” Archer waved off. “I’ll be fine. Come on, Hakuno. Let me show you my work.” The wine glass he had been drinking from was traded for another, his arm wrapping around her shoulders.  
  
“I want you back by dinner,” Caster called as Archer began to drag her off towards the gardens.  
  
“We might come. We might not!”  
  
“I will come find her,” Caster threatened.  
  
“Listen to him. Mothering us.” Archer grinned, wrapping his arm around her shoulders as Hakuno found herself steered through the building. “A little bit of liquor never hurt anyone. Anyway, how’s the mana?”  
  
“Hmm?”  
  
“Your mana levels. You’re always tired when we get here.” Archer frowned at her.  
  
She scowled herself.  
  
Archer had a good point. Normally, when they came here, she was exhausted. She normally spent the first day or so resting in Archer’s room or leaning against Caster as he worked. She’d never managed to travel into the singularities as well as she had the training grounds. Da Vinci had claimed it was because, while her mana levels were now stronger than Gudako, she had little ability to tap into that reserve when traveling. It needed warming up first, so to speak.  
  
Instead, she felt fine this time around. A little less energy, but it was more like she had sprinted for a minute rather than traveled through time and space.  
  
“I feel fine.”  
  
“Truly?”  
  
“Yeah.” She smiled at him. “Maybe the bond we had helped with that?”  
  
The man shrugged, steering them into a new direction and opening a door nearby. “Here we are.”  
  
She stopped short, staring at the area that the man had presented to her.  
  
He hadn’t been joking about the place. Every single flowerbed she had lingered by in the other gardens had been collected here. Every fountain she had teased him about and splashed him at, every tree she had laid under with him outside the city; she could tell from the cuts in the trunks of a few that they were in fact the same damn trees. He had brought them all here.  
  
“How long did this take to make?” Hakuno looked around more closely, noting the vines weaving around the door back into the ziggurat.  
  
“It’s of little matter.” Archer closed the door, wrapping his arm back around her and moving them deeper into the jungle of flora. Her eyes were drifting over all of it, recognizing everything. “It was a simple matter of planning. I’m capable of such just as Caster is.”  
  
“The trees though,” Hakuno looked up at them, pressing a hand to one of them. “You got all upset over Caster and hacked at this one with his axe.”  
  
“Don’t mention that.” Archer glanced back.  
  
Clearly, he hadn’t apologized as he had said he would.  
  
A smile came to her face, her body leaning forward as the man sipped at his drink. “You did all this for me?”  
  
“I made it out of boredom.”  
  
“Boredom?”  
  
“I had time. You liked these things. I was bored. Thus, this garden was created. I am not one to show preference so immensely. Do not romanticize me.”  
  
She shook her head, moving to sit on one of the benches nearby.  
  
The weather was at least nice, even if her company couldn’t actually tell her that he cared for her. One day, if she was patient, maybe he’d slip. They had eternity.  
  
Archer moved to sit next to her, stretching himself out so he could rest his head against her lap. Her hand was back in his, the man’s fingers tracing over the line again on her palm. His eyes were focused on it as he set his glass next to her. Each time he stroked it, she felt a little more of her resistance to him slipping.  
  
He pressed his lips to the mark after a while, closing his eyes as he simply kept her hand there.  
  
The wind whistled softly around them, the trees swaying as she found herself pulling his glass into hand and sipping from the drink. It was surprisingly sweet, especially since Caster had made her think that the men had enjoyed only bitter and smokier drinks. Normally, they drank more potent things that made her wince and turn away.  
  
Instead, the drink went down smooth. A light feeling began to develop as she continued to steal from his cup. It felt like, the more she drank, the better her mood became. It really was nice to just let something drain away her frustrations with Archer.  
  
When the glass was emptied, she set it aside.  
  
The garden was amazing.  
  
Every inch of it was astounding. The man had put in so much effort, even bringing the trees to this area. That would have required someone like Hercules or someone to wrench the things from the ground. Or perhaps Enkidu, if the clay being was really putting forth some mana.  
  
Archer looked up at her as she pulled her hand away. At the questioning look, she leaned in, pressing her lips to his.  
  
Her favorite servant.  
  
Of course, she wasn’t supposed to have a favorite. She had Gilgamesh in several forms and she had Enkidu. Enkidu was much more reasonable when it came to orders and battle tactics. The being and child Gil were usually pretty good at listening, except about baths and little things like that. They bickered with her. Even Caster was good with her as well, indulging in little moments with her or coming to her when his paperwork would begin to pile up. Sometimes, she would approach him, taking scrolls without asking and simply getting started as she sat beside the mage. They would argue problems and possible solutions before finding some kind of solution.  
  
Yet they weren’t Gil. They weren’t Archer.  
  
Archer was, without a doubt, her favorite.  
  
His hand tangled in her hair, tasting her as she kissed him.  
  
The way he kissed was overwhelming, a small sound escaping her despite her best attempts at holding it back. His knees bent, arms holding her closer as he deepened their kiss. His tongue moved to gain access to her mouth. His touch was leaving her wanting.  
  
“Gil…”  
  
The man pulled her hand back into his own, holding it to his chest as they pulled apart again. Those eyes drifted over her person before he moved to stand up.  
  
The bench was gone the moment he yanked her from it. Their bodies moving to one of the more secluded corners of the gardens.  
  
She found his robes falling behind her before she found herself amongst the lilies. Her eyes drifted up, watching the man untie the robes beneath and climb over her. She didn’t hesitate. Arms around his shoulders, lips back against his; Hakuno moaned softly. Every inch of her skin alive for him.  
  
Breathing had come to mean this moment.  
  
Entirely, wholly for this moment.  
  
Her clothes were gone within the next minute. Between her and Gilgamesh, the attire didn’t stand a chance. They tossed it all to the flowers around, her legs wrapping around his waist and pulling him in.  
  
And then she was drowning, lost in the sensation of those lips against her own.  
  
Their arms were fighting to keep a grip of one another as something broke between them. The peace was gone, the world around them just a vague memory as their lips moved against one another.  
  
She clawed at him, trying to get a better hold. Her lips devoured him, demanding more. He could do so much more. She knew he could.  
  
The man made a low noise, eyes blazing as she felt him slam her back against the ground. A pain was there, perhaps a moment. Perhaps more than a moment. She didn’t pay any heed to it. Her eyes locked with his before he was shoving himself into her.  
  
They didn’t need foreplay today.  
  
Her body had never been so ready to take him. She welcomed him between her legs like she was made for him, moving her hips so she could listen to him moan. That sound echoed around them, the area around them containing their sounds.  
  
“Damn, Hakuno.”  
  
“Gil, please…”  
  
She reached up, finding his hand holding the one that went to his face. His body was pounding into hers. His hand turning hers so he could kiss the mark on her palm again.  
  
“Gil…”  
  
“Don’t you ever turn those eyes away from me,” he breathed, an unnatural, alluring feeling coming off of him in waves. “Don’t close your eyes. Don’t think of anything else.”  
  
His name escaped her lips, egging him on more than anything else.  
  
“Do you understand?” Archer leaned over her, increasing his pace. He was so deep. There was something stirring in the way he was doing this. A spot being hit with each movement that was driving her to madness. She tried to stop him, but his grip was on her one hand already. The other hand was captured as well, being held over her head as he moved.  
  
His lips pressed to her neck, trailing a path down her front.  
  
She was unraveling as he nipped at her chest. Her senses fraying until all that was left were tangles of emotions that she would never figure out. Her body leaned up into that touch. Her legs the only way she could hold him now. And she needed to hold him, increase his movements as he went.  
  
“Tell me what I want to hear, Hakuno,” Archer demanded. “Damn it, woman. If you can make me feel like this, tell me what I want to hear.”  
  
“I need you, Gil.”  
  
“Try again.”  
  
Her voice was lost. Her eyes rolling back as a climax came over her. Yet still, the man continued to drive her to insanity. He continued to move, over and over, abusing that sweet spot within her. He knew how to do this, had this down to a science.  
  
She was beyond all thinking now.  
  
Feeling.  
  
She could feel so much right now.  
  
His body leaned over her, hot and sweaty. His eyes burned into her own, mirroring what she hoped was on her face. His grip was so tight, his body moving so quickly. He pulled out slower, making her shiver and shake.  
  
In and out he went.  
  
He was thick, ready for her. His skin glistened as he looked down at her. Those bangs curtained her view of him, glinting like the sun above.  
  
He was the damn sun. He was the damn world.  
  
She burned under him, finding herself too close. Too beloved.  
  
Her climax took over again, a voice crying out his name again as the man leaned against her. He pushed himself in entirely. She found herself clenching around him, making the man curse again. His arms wrapped around her.  
  
Warmth, unparalleled swept through her.  
  
“I need you,” she breathed, staring up towards the heavens.  
  
“I’m right here,” he answered.  
  
“I need you, Gil.”  
  
There was a slickness between their two sweaty bodies, the man pulling out after the warmth finished overflowing within her. He gathered her into his arms, resting his head upon hers.  
  
They had gotten swept away, Hakuno thought. She had loved it too. Looking up at him, Hakuno could see that proud king enjoying himself with his face to the heavens. She could see the way he seemed to just embrace the heat, the sunshine.  
  
Her lips pressed to his chest.  
  
“What are you thinking, Hakuno?”  
  
She shook her head, continuing to slowly move her lips along his chest, following after the red lines that crossed it. As she moved, she could feel those eyes on her. She could see his raised eyebrow as his voice called to her again.  
  
“Hakuno, I asked you what you are thinking about?”  
  
“It’s silly,” she murmured to his skin, tasting the salt in his sweat.  
  
“I will humor you,” he offered, “since you have decided to pleasure me with that mouth of yours and welcome me with your plain body. Despite its size, it has done a rather good job of rewarding me for my hard work on this place.”  
  
She closed her eyes as she reached his adam’s apple, feeling those last words vibrate against her lips.  
  
“Hakuno…”  
  
“I was thinking that you were like the sun,” she whispered.  
  
The man laughed, the sound echoing in the world around them. His hands brushed through her hair, smile radiating amongst the world around them. The greenery and red blooms only complimented the way he shone.  
  
“Truly?” He pressed his lips to hers as he held her from him. “What an imagination you have, my other half. What does that make you, I wonder?”  
  
Her lips found his again.  
  
Enough words. He would just say something he didn’t mean.  
  
Gilgamesh didn’t understand how to say nice things anymore. She would speak to him and he would speak to her with their bodies. The man never lied with his actions. He never lied when he kissed her.  
  
He pulled away from her again, falling back to the robes beneath them as he laughed again.  
  
“Gods, but I like this. This is how we should have always been, Hakuno. I have a mind to just keep you here forever.”  
  
Her eyes drifted down his body as he spoke, her lips trailing down his chest now.  
  
His voice was so wonderful. Despite how obnoxious he laughed, she had become accustomed to that voice. She had found it the balm to keep her nightmares at bay. All the fears and anxieties, all the worries over what her friends would have thought of her killing them- gone. He talked them away. He laughed them into the abyss.  
  
Her lips wrapped around his manhood, effectively cutting off the sound of him. Glancing up, she could see his eyes wide, body going stock still as he felt her lick around the head of him.  
  
She took him in deeper, making the king simply stare.  
  
He opened his mouth, closing it a second later.  
  
Again, it opened.  
  
Again, he closed it, bucking into her mouth.  
  
She closed her lips around the base of him, tightening her mouth around him, making him feel her mouth around him.  
  
The king simply shivered, gripping the ground around them tightly as he let her continue.  
  
This was what her lower body did for him so often, was it not? She welcomed him in and tightened around him. She let him fill her again and again. She had only thought about this a couple times, hearing servants like Medb and Raikou murmur about it.  
  
It did as they had said, shutting the king up and making him pay attention.  
  
Knuckles turning white, the king leaned forward. “…Hakuno…”  
  
Her tongue ran around his manhood, lapping at the head of it as she moved a hand to cradle his balls. Lightly tracing them, she watched the man freeze up again.  
  
He was beginning to sweat again. His pupils were dilated, making his eyes darkening as she moved. Even as she tongued him so intimately, the man tried to find some kind of sanity.  
  
And failed, judging by the way his body lay back.  
  
His eyes closed again as he let out another moan. His hips bucked against her, making her choke slightly against him. She forced back the gag reflex. She forced back anything other than this light and wonderful feeling in herself.  
  
Gilgamesh would feel overwhelmed now. He would be the one that went to bed yearning for more. He would think of what murmured affections she thought about him saying. He would wonder if she would ever say those things to him for once.  
  
The tables would be turned, if only in this moment in time.  
  
“Hakuno,” he moaned, hands running through her hair again to keep her still. She sucked on him again, feeling him shudder a moment before he was lost.  
  
Once again, the warmth came. It flowed into her mouth, being welcomed in as she swallowed everything. He tasted sweet. She hadn’t realized that he would taste like this.  
  
She fought for that every last drop.  
  
She held his hips tightly as she drank him dry.  
  
And then he pulled her up to his lips, once more kissing her viciously. The kiss demanded everything, leaving her head spinning.  
  
He pulled back again, laughing again as his breathing was ragged. “I don’t know what has gotten into you, but tell me. I want it in you again. Whatever it was that pleased you so well, say the word and I will see it done again.”  
  
“Come here then,” she breathed. “I just wanted you here with me.”  
  
He laughed harder, lips happily finding hers again.  
  
The man kissed life from her, she was sure of it. The air was robbed from her lungs. Her legs, when she moved them, began to ache lightly. Her chest was being pounded against erratically by her heart, which was finding the whole situation to be too much.  
  
Her mind was trying to yell an unknown language called logic at her.  
  
The warm, bubbly feeling in her body and soul was screaming a more sensible set of words.  
  
Touch him.  
  
Kiss him.  
  
Take him.  
  
Everything about him belonged to her. She loved that smile of his, the way his laugh echoed in the world around them, the way his hair hung over his face, hiding it to others so that she could enjoy it alone. There was nothing that she would change. There was no one that could possibly make her feel this way.  
  
Just him.  
  
She loved the feeling. She embraced it with both hands.  
  
She embraced him with both hands, kissing him again.  
  
“Hakuno, my Hakuno…” The king pressed her to his robes. He trailed his lips along her body again, pulling both her hands to hold above her head. “You’re so bereft over the loss of my touch. Being away from me has made you lonely. Don’t leave my side again.”  
  
“Never,” she breathed.  
  
“Don’t look at anyone but me,” he purred.  
  
“Love me,” she begged him, her voice going soft.  
  
“You are a fool, Hakuno Kishinami.” He ran a hand down her chest. “How could I not already feel strong regard for you? Do you not already understand?”  
  
She leaned up against his touch, trying to press herself to him.  
  
“Give me a moment,” Gilgamesh murmured. “I need my drink. Your body has left mine in need of something to drink before we continue this. I intend to continue this too.” His eyes lingered on her lips a moment, body hesitating before he stood up.  
  
“Get me some as well,” she called to him as he went. “It was good.”  
  
The man froze.  
  
“Hakuno…”  
  
“I had a little,” she told him, sitting up a little. Her eyes drifted up to his face, the smile on her face a permanent affair. “It was so sweet. I didn’t think you drank anything like that.”  
  
Gilgamesh stared at her again before moving closer. His arms wrapped the robes around her body, lifting her up and carrying her towards the ziggurat again.  
  
“Gil?”  
  
“Mortals aren’t supposed to drink that.” He shook his head, quickening his pace. “Hakuno, I did not offer it to you for a reason. Why would- Damn it, woman.”  
  
“It’s fine.” Hakuno ran a hand along his back, tracing the symbols as they went down his back.  
  
“Hakuno, merely tasting a sip of the wine kills humans! If something-“  
  
Her lips pressed against his back, eyes looking back as a woman moved from one of the doorways nearby.  
  
Such a beautiful woman.  
  
Her hair was finely spun gold, her body wrapped seductively in a long red dress with gold patterns proudly sewn on in such a way that the fabric looked like it had been handed down from the gods themselves. It looked like the fabrics were poured onto her body. Her skin was smooth and flawless. Her crimson eyes were locked on hers as she caught sight of them moving down the hall.  
  
“Gil, gil!” Hakuno shifted slightly, excitedly trying to get him to stop. “Fem you. There’s a female you. Stop and double back!”  
  
The man froze, turning to look back at the woman who was crossing her arms.  
  
The signature smirk was impossible to mistake.  
  
“How interesting,” the woman purred.  
  
Hakuno hugged the body holding her, face flushed as she flashed the woman probably one of the largest smiles she had ever given in her life. The man holding her pulled her into his arms better, cradling her to his chest as he looked over at their guest.  
  
"You're gorgeous," Hakuno told the woman.   
  
“Hello mother,” Archer greeted.


	9. Chapter 9

“I have gone from being chased down about a clay being made for you to being held at bay by the mere intoxication of a small half breed goddess.”  
  
“I don’t have time to speak to you, mother.” Archer looked down at the woman in his arms, currently trying to wiggle her way out. “Hakuno has partaken in the drink of the gods, which you were so eager to allow humans to handle and pass out. I need to get to the Euphrates and-“  
  
“Let me see her.”  
  
He held his woman closer to himself, eyeing the goddess as she stood there with her arms extended.  
  
“Gilgamesh, did I say something confusing to you?” Her smile was faltering as Gilgamesh took a step back.  
  
“You are only here on the gods’ behalf. There is no other purpose to your visit.” He had almost come to believe that his mother would be eager to have her son possess a second half. It was something none of them had expected of him. Being that he hated himself and enjoyed himself in a multitude of ways, it was of even greater surprise to himself.  
  
“They did send me.”  
  
“Then you will not see Hakuno.” If he recalled correctly, there was a vial of something in the gates of Babylon that he could attain from his teenaged self that could possibly correct this. It aided in the passing of poisons through the body. It could possibly destroy the problem.  
  
“Gil, let me go. I want to talk to her,” Hakuno squirmed again, making him almost hiss as she narrowly missed hitting him somewhere vulnerable.  
  
“Hakuno, if you value living, stay still for one moment.”  
  
“Forgive him, Hakuno.” The woman moved closer, suddenly before them both before she lifted Hakuno’s face to her own. Her lips pressed to Hakuno’s forehead, eyes closing as Hakuno simply cooed.  
  
“Hello ma’am.”  
  
“You are feeling the effects quite well, aren’t you?”  
  
Hakuno’s face was glowing when she gifted the woman with another smile.  
  
“Gilgamesh,” Ninsun moved closer, smiling a little more. “Let me see her.”  
  
“Mo-“  
  
“Just for a moment.” The woman shook her head, leaning in close to Hakuno. “I understand why he hesitates. After speaking with my mage son, I sense the betrayal he feels towards me. I know he also has come to hate everyone with divinity, but you will change that. He cannot hate his own creation. Perhaps he will understand why I did what I did to bring him into creation if he has you.”  
  
“Gilgamesh is stubborn,” Hakuno replied lightly. She wrapped her arms around his mother, hugging her to herself. “He never understands anything.”  
  
“Oh?”  
  
“I love him, but he is an asshole.” Hakuno told her.  
  
“Hakuno is intoxicated,” Gilgamesh told his mother, pulling the woman back and finding something around Hakuno’s neck. “What is this?”  
  
“A gift.” Ninsun stalled his hands. “Leave it.”  
  
“Leave it?” He could feel his temper, welcoming it in as he looked at her.  
  
He was just supposed to leave the gaudy necklace on her? The plain, dark stone made his stomach churn just looking at it. The thing didn’t belong on his woman. It belonged in the bottom of the Euphrates.  
  
And his mother…  
  
Such a perfect woman. Someone he had come to consider his greatest confidant and friend. No, that had all been nonsense. Enkidu was his only friend. He would remain with that statement for eternity now. The woman before him had bore him. Brought him forth into the world and cast him aside.  
  
For entertaining herself with a flock of cows, no less.  
  
Again, he went to pull the necklace from Hakuno’s neck. Again, he found his mother stopping him.  
  
“I’m taking it off-“  
  
“If you would like to have the gods be threatened by her, then go ahead. Remove the necklace, Gilgamesh.”  
  
“I am not going to weaken her for your entertainment!”  
  
Hakuno was out of his arms in an instant, a foot slamming into his chest before he could do anything. Pain lanced through him, his body collapsing a moment before he found the woman standing over him, holding Hakuno over her shoulder.  
  
“Should I take this off?” Hakuno looked over at him, turning her gaze soon enough to the woman holding her.  
  
“Hakuno, let us chat.” Ninsun smiled again, carrying her along. One of the guards pulled him along, dragging him like a mutt across the floor as they entered his mother’s favorite sitting room. The plush furs were a welcomed change to the marble floors of the palace against his skin.  
  
He was murdering the guard holding him later.  
  
“Do not drag my son,” Ninsun complained to the guards. “He is not like you mongrels. Leave us as well. This is talk for those worthy of time, not you.”  
  
“Release my Hakuno,” Archer growled again.  
  
“I am ensuring that she gets what she needs,” Ninsun replied, pulling the woman into her arms better. Hakuno was now sitting on her lap, face close to his mother’s again. The woman’s eyes were looking her over, taking in the robes around her body and her plain features.  
  
The woman whose plain features belonged to him, not to the gods.  
  
Damn her.  
  
“You said that you love my son?” Ninsun asked her.  
  
“I do.”  
  
“How much do you love him?”  
  
“Release Hakuno back to me,” Archer pulled himself to his feet, stalking forward to find a hand held up. The woman turned her gaze to him, her glare stopping him short.  
  
“Hakuno,” Ninsun looked over at Hakuno, tilting her head to look at her. “Please continue. How much do you love my son?”  
  
Hakuno’s eyes were meeting his, her words hesitant until the woman wrapped her arms around her. With his mother’s embrace, it felt like the world would be held at bay. There was no safer place in the world. He knew why the woman answered.  
  
“Gilgamesh,” Hakuno replied after a moment, “is my partner and my greatest love- I mean- friend. I don’t think there’s anyone that could replace him.”  
  
“Have you tried?”  
  
“Mother!”  
  
Ninsun pulled the woman closer, “I find it interesting that you are a mongrel and my son has deemed it worthwhile to spend any time with you.”  
  
“He didn’t want to necessarily when I met him,” Hakuno replied. “I was just entertaining.”  
  
“I could see that.”  
  
“Gilgamesh does more than simply use people for his entertainment though. He has Enkidu after all. Enkidu is the kindest being in the universe and is probably one of the most amazing beings I’ve ever met. Along with that, he has his moments. I think he’s gotten better over time.”  
  
“Your explanation leaves a little to be desired, little one.”  
  
“She does not owe you an explanation. You have not been around and you have given us no aid.” There was no reason for him to put up with this any further. He shot to his feet, aiming for the woman when he saw one of his gates appeared. A handle fell out, landing in his mother hands a moment before she had Ea aimed at him. That calm expression of hers didn’t even change.  
  
“Sit.”  
  
He sat back down.  
  
“You can’t have that.” Hakuno’s arms wrapped around his divine weapon, pulling it into her arms and holding it close. “Why is it that you all overreact to everything? You can’t be trusted with this and Gilgamesh can’t be trusted with his ego. You both don’t get either of those things now. I’m holding onto them both.”  
  
“I can have whatever I wish,” his mother told her.  
  
“You can have a busted nose if you try again,” Hakuno warned. The little fool.  
  
He was almost into standing up when his mother laughed, hugging her close.  
  
“Such defiance! Ah- but look at me. Look at me!” Hakuno’s face was pulled closer, his mother looking over those eyes as Hakuno glared at her. “Oh my goodness, look at you. You must be entirely foolish or simply want to die.”  
  
“I won’t die. Gil won’t let me.”  
  
“Do you think you can take me, little mongrel?”  
  
“I don’t want to pay back Gil for hurting you, but I will if you try to threaten him again.”  
  
His mother was enjoying this. There was little else to do but wait impatiently as his mother wrapped her arms around the woman and hugged her close.  
  
“I already love you so much. Ah, sweet Ninkasi.”  
  
That useless being?  
  
“Hakuno is not Ninkasi. Do not confuse the two for one another.” Settling into a proper sitting position, Gilgamesh found his eyes drifting back down to the necklace around Hakuno’s neck. “And take that thing off my woman. She does not need trinkets from useless gods.”  
  
“I murdered so many people to bring that necklace to your woman,” Ninsun was holding Hakuno far too tightly, ignoring the woman’s drunken attempts at trying to pull back. “I had to enter that useless child goddess’ temple and threaten her head maiden to make her child appear. And then the priestesses were all up in arms. Do you realize the ramifications of blood spilt without cause?”  
  
“You murdered Ninkasi?”  
  
Ninsun grinned, finally allowing Hakuno to breathe. Her smile was back in full force as Hakuno glared up at her. “You are Ninkasi now, the goddess who sates the heart. I could not think of a single position amongst us that would suit my son’s other half as well. Aren’t I simply second to none?”  
  
“What?” Hakuno frowned at her, trying to figure out what she was talking about.  
  
But it was obvious what the woman had done.  
  
Actually, now that he was thinking about it, he had to admit it was interesting as an idea. The gods and goddesses of Babylon wouldn’t allow another god or goddess to exist. Half breed or not, they would slaughter the being. What’s more, they would kill anyone around the being if they found a half breed or pure blooded divine. While Hakuno would not have died, she would have suffered from watching Chaldea fall to its knees. The servants wouldn’t have stood a chance.  
  
He knew full well what could happen with the gods of his world. Ramses paled in comparison. Karna as well.  
  
Ninkasi though.  
  
He almost cared that she was dead. The woman could sate the heart better than most. She had been at least tolerable. Her liquors had been a balm to his spirit after Enkidu had passed.  
  
Hakuno was still confused by the phrase, blushing profusely as her intoxication seemed to at least allowed slight sanity to come in.  
  
“What… I’m not having sex with everyone.”  
  
His mother roared in amusement, once again hugging her close.  
  
“Sate the heart does not mean sexually,” Gilgamesh elaborated, giving his mother a rather droll look. He should have been drinking and Caster here to explain this nonsense. “Don’t be an idiot, Hakuno.”  
  
“Sate the heart. That’s satisfaction,” the little fool argued.  
  
“Ninkasi was the goddess of liquors and beer. She singlehandedly oversees that the people of Uruk have something to drink. Without the goddess,” well- He didn’t need to finish that statement. Without Ninkasi, Uruk would die. Humanity of this time would die.  
  
His gaze darkened as he looked at his mother.  
  
“You’ve sentenced my people to death.”  
  
“He is heavily dramatic,” Ninsun told his woman, wrapping her arms around her more. “Do you see how he blames me? I tell him I brought you a gift and he spurns me.”  
  
“Hakuno won’t know how to-“  
  
“I am assisting.” Ninsun interrupted. She held up the necklace around Hakuno’s neck. “This lovely object will help Hakuno, although I am pleased to find she is already fascinated with the prospect of her new position by indulging in her own future’s treasure.”  
  
“You can’t make someone a goddess that wasn’t born one.”  
  
“Unless you bind them to your soul and you’re divine.” Ninsun let the necklace wave back and forth. “In which case, all I would need to do is have Ninkasi give the last of her prowess to me and then I would give it to Hakuno.”  
  
“You don’t know what that would-“  
  
“Calm down, my son. You already agreed to it.” Ninsun leaned against Hakuno again, the woman in her arms lost in trying to understand anything. “I saw your teenaged self earlier today when I was greeted by Enkidu. The clay being and the boy explained to me what happened and I proposed this solution.”  
  
“That brat-“  
  
“Is you.” Ninsun looked over at him. “Will you deny me then? Try to tell me a better plan.”  
  
He didn’t have one.  
  
Where the hell was Caster when he needed the idiot?  
  
The woman in her arms was closing her eyes now. Even as she tried to remain upright, Hakuno was tired. His mother was taking the opportunity to open the gates near herself, pulling clothing down from them. The cloth was carefully held up to her, his mother’s expression smoothing out as she tossed it aside and continued to look around.  
  
“Mother, stay out of the Gates of Babylon.”  
  
The woman was a pestilence.  
  
“I am indulging myself,” she argued. “Did I teach you nothing about being indulgent?”  
  
“There is nothing given without consequence. So what is it? What exactly are you wanting from my woman?“  
  
“I want absolutely nothing.”  
  
Nothing?  
  
He would never believe such nonsense from the woman.  
  
“I swear, you are almost as callous as your Caster self. I can see which of your other selves you’ve spent most of your time with.” The women held out her arms once more, letting Hakuno lean against her as she finally rested. “Come here, my son.”  
  
“Do not harm Hakuno.”  
  
He moved from his seat, replacing his attire onto himself. His arms wrapped around the woman as he settled into place at her side, holding her close. The embrace was the same as ever. It encompassed him, the woman smelling of fresh fields and grasslands. Her lips pressed against the top of his head.  
  
“I would not harm your little woman, but I am not here as a friend. Not fully.”  
  
“What do you want with us, mother?”  
  
“The gods are looking for weakness at this point. I have removed the fatal flaw of her having no use to us, but that does not mean that there are no faults. You and your other selves will need to stand united while you are here. If they sense for a moment that one of you is going to be able to be used for their purposes, then you will never see that one and your woman again.”  
  
“Hakuno will be fine.”  
  
“Your younger self is a threat.” The woman pulled back, kissing his nose. “Hakuno won’t say no if it’s you. I have been told enough from your child self and Enkidu to know that you will not face resistance from her.”  
  
“Hakuno would not leave with my younger self.”  
  
“Are you so sure?”  
  
The memory of Prototype carrying his woman off came to mind. Hakuno had moved in the way of Ea, stopping him. She had made Enkidu block them from attacking the teen as they had escaped, running off to her room where they had initiated this whole problem. Through quite amorous words, if he had read them correctly.  
  
“Hakuno would not leave with my younger self,” he repeated.  
  
“Remain a few days,” Ninsun encouraged. “Ishtar has been assigned to indulge my wishes and teach your little goddess how to-“  
  
“She does not know anything that Hakuno does not know. The woman is a useless goddess.”  
  
“Who is also well loved by our gods and is the patron goddess of your people.”  
  
“And is a useless woman who grew hateful over the fact that I rebuffed her. Did you forget the fact that she killed Enkidu?” He hadn’t. If anything, it had made finding her around Chaldea that much more entertaining. Revenge was best done by ruining the woman’s life.  
  
“I have not.”  
  
Gilgamesh wrapped an arm around his mother, leaning back and sighing. “Allow me to find a guide for this transition. Since you have so erroneously created this problem by offering the wrong woman for the job, I know of someone who could assist in this training.”  
  
“Ishtar will begin it. If only to teach her the barest of things.”  
  
“I told you-“  
  
His mother moved to stand up, resting the woman in his arms. Ea slipped slightly in Hakuno’s grip, reminding him to return the weapon to his vaults. It slid back into the gates quietly, leaving Hakuno to wrap her arms around his waist instead.  
  
“Do you know what I enjoy about this?”  
  
“I’m sure you’re about to enlighten me,” he replied.  
  
The cloth that his mother had pulled from the gates was picked up, Hakuno’s body set upright as she set to work. “You spent so much time berating me for your humanity and now you are clinging to it as I did. All that talk of becoming immortal and you fall for someone who shared that plight.”  
  
He moved Hakuno’s hair, remaining quiet as the dress was set over Hakuno’s body and the robes he had wrapped her in fell onto his lap. The jewelry that came next hung over her shoulders, connecting to her necklace. His mother was going with more of the pious goddess outfits it seemed.  
  
Quaint.  
  
“Is this fine?”  
  
“It is suitable, I suppose,” he told the woman. “Hakuno would be better awake, but I found she had indulged far after its effects had begun.”  
  
“Would you like for me to remain close?”  
  
Honestly, he didn’t.  
  
Having someone too much like himself was annoying. His other halves had taken to indulging different whims, creating somewhat of a harmony, sans Prototype. Having his mother around, she would get in his way.  
  
Although…  
  
Having her around meant that Hakuno would be able to properly meet her. Knowing his master as he did, her first concern would be the fact that she drunkenly spoke to his mother and all but purred on the woman’s lap for an hour. She’d probably panic if Ninsun left, thinking her chances of knowing any gods or goddesses who liked her were gone.  
  
“Stay,” he demanded, holding his woman closer and running a hand through her hair. “I want Hakuno to speak to you properly.”  
  
“How kind of you.”  
  
Kind.  
  
His woman was now the goddess of liquor and every damn god and goddess as well as human being in Uruk worshipped the ground she walked on. There wouldn’t be a day that she wouldn’t be prayed to which, if his mother’s incessant whining was any indication, came with a collection of baubles and useless gestures that came to annoy even the most patient of souls.  
  
Truly, he now had to deal with Ishtar’s new lack of temple figures and Hakuno’s sudden need to have a temple within Uruk. It would be unseemly to lack something like that.  
  
And these were damn Caster problems in regards to Uruk.  
  
“Do not make that face.” Reaching out a hand, Ninsun lifted his chin, a bored expression coming over her face. “You remind me of my cows. Such sulkiness. You would think that I had taken away the warm weather and the fresh grasses.”  
  
“Do not compare me to your meager beasts.”  
  
“I remember when I used to have you run amongst them. You were so pleased. Then you became spoiled. Truly, I indulge you like nothing else.”  
  
“Release me, mother.”  
  
Her hands went to Hakuno’s face instead, pinching her face. Those red eyes watched him as she continued her useless teasing. “And look at my daughter. So eager to cling to her husband.”  
  
“We are not married, mother.”  
  
“I would hope you would rectify that.”  
  
There was no need for such things. However, he and Caster were doomed to thinking up a reason why the goddess of drink was now the most important goddess of Uruk.  
  
“Even Ishtar was given someone,” Ninsun pointed out.  
  
“You and your kin refer to me as something less than divine and then wish for me to abide your wishes. Do you truly think-“  
  
“Then I suppose another could come for her.”  
  
“She is bound to me mother.”  
  
Ninsun shrugged. “Soul, yes. But she could still stray. They would simply need to destroy you and your others.”  
  
Such a wonderful woman.  
  
“You could indulge me like when I was young.” He pulled the woman’s hands off before she pinched too much color into those cheeks of Hakuno’s. “My woman is not a plaything. She is my mongrel and will remain that way.”  
  
“I offer suggestions.”  
  
Oh yes, much like how he offer such things to Hakuno.  
  
“Gilgamesh.” Ninsun settled once again at his side. “Think about it, my son. You get the goddess of true pleasure. Someone who ensures the health of all of your people and who is defiant. Did you see her go to argue with me? She’s going to argue with you and fight you time and time again.”  
  
Such excitement. His mother was hopeless.  
  
“Hakuno is always defiant. She would fight with all the gods if they looked at me the wrong way.” And he quite enjoyed that fact.  
  
“Fine. Do not listen to me.”  
  
“I am listening, I am merely pointing out that your wishes are extraneous and your observations are obvious. Hakuno is mine and my duplicates are not going to give in to the gods and their demands.”  
  
“I suppose you’re right.” Ninsun sighed. “I suppose I’ll have to simply settle for indoctrinating my daughter in the joys of your youth. I remember when your first temple ceremony with temple maidens. The way your face-“  
  
“Hakuno does not need to talk to you. I’ve decided I’m over the sentiment.”  
  
Again, her laugh filled the room. The woman pulled her hair into hand, combing her fingers through the golden locks as she closed her eyes. “Indulge my whims and I will owe you a favor, Gilgamesh. You know I do not hand them out so willfully. Anything at all. I merely want to see it happen.”  
  
Those eyes opened, staring into space.  
  
“I want to see them all suffer. Our happiness is more important than any of the useless gods and goddesses. Their games have hurt you and their words me. Let us watch them fear what we can do when we decide to stop bending to their will.”  
  
“You are still a lesser goddess.”  
  
“And you have been spited against for defying the gods. Not as divine as you could be.” She nodded at Hakuno. “It is through Ninkasi’s abilities that Hakuno is now even more divine than yourself.”  
  
“And now everyone in Uruk will be after her.”  
  
She just hummed.  
  
The thought of others after his woman was an afterthought. It was of little importance. She stood once more and smiled.  
  
“Show me the gardens where you cemented my daughter’s divinity, Gilgamesh. I heard that it is quite something.”  
  
“I need to stay with-“  
  
“Hakuno can remain in my chambers. I have your younger self slumbering amongst the clay being and the little you.”  
  
His eyes drifted down to Hakuno, debating it.  
  
On the one hand, if he did not abide by the wishes, his mother would not let him have peace. She would continue this tail chasing conversation until he grew angry or gave in. Knowing her as he did, she would find ways to make it more and more challenging to say no.  
  
“You assisted with protecting Hakuno,” he told her, standing up and holding his woman to himself. “I’ll humor you, since your overall goals are in line with my own.”  
  
“How generous, my golden king.”


	10. Chapter 10

The first thing she noticed upon waking up was that her body felt lethargic.  
  
It felt like she had once again decided to go through an entire day of training with Archer and the others at her side. Her back was aching, her chest and stomach feeling tighter. Her eyes drifted up towards the ceiling, taking in the canopy of the room above the bed.  
  
No. Couch.  
  
She looked around, confused.  
  
She had been in the gardens with Archer, taking in his handiwork and then had…  
  
Oh no.  
  
She had drank his wine and gotten ahead of herself with him. The two of them had done all kinds of things in the gardens before wandering inside and meeting his mother. A mother whom she had decided to compliment and cling to and talk back to.  
  
“Gods, what have I done?” She pressed her feet to the tile, burying her face in her hands.  
  
So much for that diplomacy training she had been trying to learn from Caster. She had dragged Archer to spend so much time learning with Caster and her and in the end she couldn’t do anything. She had threatened the woman and stolen back Ea.  
  
“Damn it.”  
  
She was not going to be living this down.  
  
Archer would be the first to enjoy this situation, especially since she had done something she had never done before. Blissfully at that. She had just gone to-  
  
She had to stop thinking about this. It was going to drive her mad. There were other problems, like figuring out where in the palace she was now. This room didn’t look like anything in the ziggurat. After going to Uruk a dozen or so times, she was confident in her ability to tell the rooms and where in the ziggurat she was. All halls eventually led to Gil’s throne room after all.  
  
All of his rooms were decorated in golds and reds. The green plants and various blooms that made up the palace had been things he had brought in that he felt livened the place. That and Enkidu liked to have living things and open windows wherever they were.  
  
This room looked like it had gone through a fight or two. There weren’t any extra decors inside the room. Even the couch she had been on, she could see someone had stabbed the thing.  
  
“Hello?”  
  
Hakuno moved to her feet, pausing as she looked down at the attire she was in.  
  
They were a bit… transparent in places. She could see her belly through the gauzy material at her waist. She could feel the gold chains attached to the necklace on her neck holding the more opaque pieces in place over her being.  
  
It was cooler though.  
  
She wouldn’t argue when it really felt quite comfortable here in Uruk when she was dressed like this.  
  
Gilgamesh was becoming a bad influence obviously.  
  
Looking around again, she paused again.  
  
Prototype was hanging nearby. Literally, held to the wall through chains and netting. His body had been stripped of attire, his face bleeding slightly as it hung forward, blocking her view of their face. The netting looked like it had been wrapped around him tightly, keeping him from moving.  
  
They must have been in enemy territory.  
  
Looking around again, Hakuno found herself without anything.  
  
But she was wearing gold jewelry. Sumerian gold fashion made zero sense, with necklaces that had sharp angles that hurt when you turned your head. She would yank the thing off for a minute, sharpen the thing, and then free him.  
  
That sounded reasonable.  
  
Of course, it wasn’t going to sharpen on anything in the room very well.  
  
Proto’s head lifted slightly, their eyes drifting over to her.  
  
“Hakuno…”  
  
“Gil, what happened?” She hurried over, shushing him a little as she kept close. “Who did this to you?”  
  
“I was sleeping after talking to mother.” Proto shook his head. “Where are we?”  
  
“I don’t know. I just woke up over there.” Hakuno motioned towards the couch, earning a scoff from the boy.  
  
“Making a goddess sleep in such poor accommodations.”  
  
“Okay, Prince Charming, let’s get out of here, shall we?”  
  
“What’s that?”  
  
“Nothing,” she shook her head at him, earning a laugh.  
  
“Prince Charming. I enjoy your nicknames. You need to call me that. You call the other Gilgamesh Gil. I want something that is just for me.”  
  
“You won’t have anything if I can’t get these damn chains off.”  
  
Two objects clattered onto the ground behind her, making her jump a foot in the air. “You may have Enki to use for now. Release me from these bonds and allow me to away us to somewhere safe and secluded for proper time together.”  
  
He sounded like damn Archer when he said that.  
  
Oh, but she didn’t want to think about him right now. Him or his damn mother.  
  
Hakuno turned, picking up the twin blades and aiming them towards the boy’s two sides. Her eyes drifted up to his.  
  
“It’s fine, Hakuno. I trust you.”  
  
She didn’t trust herself, but she wouldn’t tell him that. She moved the swords down, watching them cut through the netting like butter. Her attention went to the chains around his wrists, biting her lip as she tried to think.  
  
“You aim for the wrist out towards the room,” Gil pointed out. “If you aim it sharp end towards the room, you should be able to slice through. Enki is quite sharp.”  
  
“For gold though?”  
  
“Enki can cut through most anything, my goddess.”  
  
“I told you I’m not a goddess.” She set one of the blades down, turning the other so the flat edge of Enki was against his arm. Her eyes locked with his as she pushed against the gold.  
  
“You are quite gorgeous when you are brave,” he told her.  
  
“You need to stop complimenting me so much.”  
  
Those crimson eyes just gleamed with promise as his sword cut through the bond. He shifted his arm, cursing a bit as the gold snapped. His hands went to the blade, helping himself free so he could rub his wrists and look around the room.  
  
“Do you know what temple we’re in?”  
  
“I don’t know. Let’s leave.”  
  
His arm wrapped around her waist, his lips pressing to her temple. “Hakuno, we cannot simply leave until we find out who brought us here. They caught me when I was asleep, a mistake that won’t happen again. I have you at my side and Enki in my hands. With the two of you, I cannot be stopped.”  
  
“Okay, Prince Charming, but I think it would be wiser to not tempt fate.”  
  
The sound of footsteps were approaching. Hakuno looked around, biting her lip a moment before she shoved him towards the door.  
  
“Hide behind the door. If this is a temple, then we can find out what goddess. If not, then you can kill whomever it was that killed us.”  
  
“Smart.” Gil moved behind the door, pressing to the wall as the door opened.  
  
Hakuno stared at the woman that passed through, her eyes drifting over her.  
  
“I know. I know.” Ishtar smiled proudly, brushing one of her twin tails behind her shoulder. “I am a goddess. I always look beautiful. Fear not, Hakuno. I am here to talk.”  
  
“You brought me here?”  
  
The goddess frowned at her, probably expecting some kind of ass kissing or something. She seemed fond of that from the Cu Chulainns in Chaldea and from Emiya. There would be none of that from her though. She wanted to know why she was here.  
  
“Ishtar-“  
  
The woman huffed, moving forward with her heels clicking on the floor. Her eyes roamed over Hakuno’s person. “You don’t look like one of us. It’s very frustrating to know that you are anyway. The half breed didn’t need to ruin all of our lives and do this.”  
  
Cryptic statements. Great.  
  
“Rin- I mean- Ishtar.” Hakuno turned with the woman, not wanting to give her back to the goddess. “Maybe you could explain a few things to me? I’m a bit out of it. I drank a little earlier.”  
  
Ishtar sighed, leaning forward a little as she slumped. “Unbelievable. I hate this. I have to do so much work after that damn woman came in here and killed most of my temple maidens. I don’t care what she thinks, having you as a lesser goddess brought forth from my temple is a pain.”  
  
“Ishtar, please.” At this rate, she’d have a headache and there was no headache medicine in sight for dealing with Sumerian arrogance.  
  
“You are Ninkasi,” Ishtar explained. “Or, more like a 2.0. My Ninkasi was respectful and didn’t steal men away who were arrogant, selfish assholes who wouldn’t know a good beautiful woman if they came up and proposed to them.”  
  
Or sent a bull after them, but who was gonna mention that?  
  
Ishtar sighed. “So, yeah. You’re the goddess of beer and wine and all those lovely spirits that humans and gods alike indulge in. I’m supposed to be teaching you to be a proper goddess and not to make every single drink that you touch a drink of the gods or just a fine quality liquor.”  
  
“I think I’ll be fine.”  
  
“Little Ninkasi,” Ishtar admonished. “You are temporarily under my care. I am, after all, the goddess that brought you that last bit of divinity and ensured your life and those around you would be safe. I’m truly the most forgiving and loving of goddesses.”  
  
“You’re wonderful,” Hakuno agreed, taking a step towards the door. “I just don’t need to be trained. I’m not going to do goddess things. See, we came to Uruk to tell the gods that Gil and I are going to avoid those kinds of things. We’re going to act like two mortals… Just with a bit longer a timeline for living.”  
  
“That’s stupid.” Ishtar moved away, heading towards a door on the other side of the room. “Let me show you where the cleaning materials are. I will begin your goddess training with having you clean these chambers. This was where Ninkasi was killed. I’ve stripped it of anything of value, since you are remaining here until I deem otherwise and I don’t feel like bothering to have you spoiled or anything. You are, after all, just a lesser goddess."  
  
Proto slinked behind her, earning a couple waves from Hakuno as the woman went on with her self-loving lecture. As the goddess entered the rather large closet, Gil slammed the door shut, locking it before he grabbed a table nearby and pushing it in the way.  
  
“HAKUNO!” Ishtar’s banging began.  
  
“Come on, Hakuno.” Proto grabbed her hand. “Let’s leave!”  
  
“Gil! She will-“  
  
“I don’t care. You’re not cleaning. Let’s leave.”  
  
Hakuno took another look around the room as they ran, entering a hallway that was more akin to the Sumerian style of leisure. Golds and navy colors hung from every corner of the palace, with white marble and walls to bring out more of the color.  
  
“She called me Ninkasi,” Hakuno told the teen holding her hand. “What do you think she meant by that?”  
  
“You’re Ninkasi now, Hakuno.” Proto replied, glancing over his shoulder as they made it to the outdoors. They hurried down the steps as quickly as possible, with her body quickly lifted into Proto’s arms as he ran.  
  
Ninkasi was the name that Gil’s mother had called her. She was still feeling off from that time, hating liquor with a deep passion.  
  
“What does this mean?” Hakuno held onto him. “I don’t know if I should be excited or horrified.”  
  
“You’re the goddess that sates the heart,” Proto replied. His feet carrying them further into the world beyond the temple. They were in the mountains for some reason. She didn’t see anything familiar around them.  
  
“Gil. Where the hell are we?”  
  
Proto continued to run, his armor coming into fruition as he ran. She held onto him tighter, looking back towards the temple as though the woman would rise from the building and give chase.  
  
But there was nothing, she was able to make it away with Gilgamesh. Her arms held him close as he ran, her grip only loosening as he slowed so she could wipe at his forehead. The sands kicked up as they reached the lower part of the mountains, their bodies wrapping around one another a little more. She pulled the opaque upper part of her dress around his head, clinging to him as the sand blew in their faces.   
  
There was no time for propriety right now. They needed to get away, especially since Ishtar would not take being thwarted and locked away lightly. They would be paying for that eventually. Eventually, but not now.  
  
The further they went, the more the sands began to dissipate. She felt Proto pull her clothing from his face, replacing it to where it belonged before running once again. The boy could run for miles on end, she could only think as they went. He had run for so long that a mortal would have died. And he had carried her all that way.   
  
“Finally,” he panted. He stopped as they ran into an abandoned city now, his eyes looking over the area. “We need a well. We need to stay hydrated.”  
  
“We do.”  
  
Proto set her down, smiling proudly at her as she straightened her dress.  
  
“What is it?”  
  
“You trusted me.”  
  
“I always trust you.”  
  
“I know, but you were mad at me before. You were staying close to my other selves and avoiding me.”  
  
“That is because you didn’t tell me the whole truth about what you were doing and bound our souls together. I can’t say that I forgive you for doing that, but we’re bonded now and I’m not going to hold it against you forever.” Just a little longer.  
  
He laughed, looking around a little. “Well good. It was annoying to have you acting that way. Anyway, I think we’re a few days out from Uruk. To be honest, I have never been to Ishtar’s true temple. There was always one in Uruk, but it’s annoying and she’s ugly.”  
  
“She’s actually really beautiful, Prince Charming.”  
  
“Yeah, like an overly done prostitute.” The teen spat on the ground. “Come on, let’s look around and get inside. It looks like we’re in the early afternoon. You know what that means.”  
  
Heat.  
  
Oh, she remembered that obnoxious heat anywhere. She led the way, listening to his armor clinking against him as he walked behind her. Every building they passed felt like it had been abandoned, lost to the sands of time and age. Signs hung haphazardly over some of them. Others had carved titles in the stone, but had seen too many sandstorms. They could no longer be read. Her hand reached for Gil's, holding onto it tightly as they walked.   
  
This was what it looked like after the singularity and time kicked in. For Uruk, it would one day be like this, abandoned and forgotten once all the kings died out. Nature would kick back in. There would be no more gold or arrogance.  
  
She moved closer to the teen at her side, mood lowered as she tried to simply let him lead.   
  
“Let’s go in here,” he motioned at one of the buildings, probably one of the best ones they had walked passed in the last minute.  
  
“Alright.”  
  
He looked around for a minute when they entered, going to a table nearby and grabbing a bucket that was lying on it. “Since we’re going to be in the heat all afternoon, I want to have us get some water. I saw a well down one of the alleys nearby. I’ll be right back.”  
  
“I’ll clean up in here a bit.”  
  
She barely did anything when he went outside. Her eyes drifted over the room, taking in the dust and the dirt. There were only tables and chairs. No cushions like the rest of the buildings in this world. Nothing that showed any kind of signs of life or comfort. She couldn’t even find a broom as she set out to find cleaning materials. Her hand ached with her chest. She wasn’t sure why.  
  
It felt better when Gil was back though, setting the bucket down.  
  
“Here, let me help.” Hakuno motioned him along, heading towards the back. “I saw a few glass bottles that we could fill with the water from the well as well.”  
  
“That’s probably a good idea,” Proto agreed, following her back to where the bottles were gathered on top of a dirty cloth.  
  
She wrapped her hands around two of them. As she lifted the bottles, two gates appeared, the ripples poured forth drink into both. The compliment about his thinking ahead was almost there when she noted that the pouring wasn't stopping. Both bottles slipped from her grip, shattering as they hit the floor. The gates disappeared again.  
  
“Gil, what the hell?!”  
  
Proto stared at her a moment, looking down at the broken glass before he moved forward. His gold footwear smashed the glass further, his hands wrapping around hers.  
  
“Gil-“  
  
“I’m going to give you another bottle,” he told her. “I want you to want it to only be filled.”  
  
“That doesn’t make any sense, why-“  
  
His lips pressed to hers a moment before he put a bottle into her hands. Again, one of those gates like the ones Archer used appeared. The drink poured forth, filling the bottle until it reached near the very top. She stared at it as the portal closed.  
  
“…What just happened, Prince Charming?”  
  
The servant pulled the bottle from her hands, taking a sip carefully. His eyes closed, a sound of pleasure escaping him before he looked at her. “You are amazing, Hakuno.”  
  
“I just held the bottle.”  
  
“Gods work in different ways. For a goddess of liquor, you naturally don’t want to spend all your time hovering over a vat of formulating mead or aging whiskey or wine.”  
  
“No, not particularly.” She didn’t want to make any at all.  
  
Gil held up the bottle, tilting the bottle her way a moment before he took a longer swig. His eyes closed, lips turning up into a brighter smile than before. “You can create gates the same way that myself and my others can. Although, instead of random things, all you have is liquor form. I imagine you could probably focus on what kind of wines or drinks if you tried hard enough. You’re new to this role so it might be a while.”  
  
The teen took another sip, bouncing on his feet a little.  
  
“I happen to love the taste of the wine of the gods so this is perfection.”  
  
“Oh no. Pour that out.” They didn’t need that here. Half of her problems at this moment were the direct result of that so called lovely liquor. It needed to be poured into the gates of hell and forgotten.  
  
“Absolutely not. It tastes better than usual.” Proto held out a hand, keeping her at bay as he continued to drink. “Besides, the water here is suitable, but it won’t work for drinking. It’s only useful for washing off hands and maybe cleaning. I don’t know if I would even trust it that far.”  
  
“You’re telling me we’re going to be drinking the entire time we’re here?”  
  
“We will until nightfall. Then we can get moving again.”  
  
She wasn’t going to drink then.  
  
Prototype could drink if he wanted. She would sit nearby and wait for the sun to set. Once that happened, she would simply get up and wait for them to make it to the next town. Or she would have them stop at a pond or lake or something. Somewhere around here there would be something for her to drink from.  
  
Proto gleefully downed the bottle, moving around the building until he remembered he could open the gates of Babylon. From there, pillows and cushions drifted down, the boy’s arms reaching out to pull her into his arms.  
  
“Lay with me, my empress.”  
  
“Gil-“  
  
“Humor me,” he murmured, wrapping his arms around her more as she came to berate him for drinking. “I want to hear about your dreams of me. It’s been on my mind nonstop since you told me from these lovely, sinful lips.” His hand cupped her cheek, his face close.  
  
“Gil… I’m not going to just…” She stopped herself as the teen leaned in close. His cheeks were flushed, his gaze flickering to her lips.  
  
“…I have thought about so many things while you avoided me,” he told her. “It was torment. I have fallen for women before, here and there. Unworthy women, looking back at them all. I gave all of them up, finding faults after only moments. They took too much pride in their looks, deeming them more important than personality. They were in love with an unreal dream or with their lost family. Useless things.”  
  
“You’ve gotten a little drunk, Gil.”  
  
“I feel different,” he continued, keeping his gaze locked with hers now. “When I’m with you, you make me feel different than those other women. I feel like my life suddenly fits into place. I am not a half god half mortal being when I’m with you. I am pure divinity. I am unstoppable.”  
  
A dangerous thought to feed into, she thought quietly.  
  
“I really love you.”  
  
The sun wasn’t even close to setting yet. This wasn’t good. Her arms wrapped around the boy, moving him to lay down.  
“You need to rest, Prince Charming. You’ve been drinking too much.” What’s more, the heat was getting into the building. It was stuffy and miserable in the building now.  
  
“You should pour yourself some liquor as well.”  
  
“Liquor dehydrates the body.”  
  
“Make it weak.”  
  
Make it weak. She didn’t even know how to hand over an empty bottle without filling it. She wasn’t going to be holding any containers for a while. Apparently, these lovely goddess powers of hers were going to ensure she was stuck with more liquor than she could handle.  
  
“Hakuno.”  
  
She looked down, finding the boy pulling her lips to his own. She could taste that sweet taste on his lips. “I love you,” he murmured. “I love you so much. I want to build you a temple right inside my palace and worship you every single day of my life. I want to make it so the gods themselves grow envious because of our divine love for one another.”  
  
“You need to rest,” she told him again.  
  
“Does it make you uncomfortable? Hearing that you are a goddess?”  
  
“It’s weird. I’m not anywhere near as pretty as your mother or Ishtar and Ereshkigal. I’ve seen enough goddesses to know that I’m not going to be able to compete on any level with them. I am happy as I am. There’s no need for me to even try.”  
  
“And that is why you are pure perfection,” Gil replied. His lips pressed to hers again. She moved to lay beside him. The teen would make her indulge him and his affections whether she liked it or not. At least if she laid down, maybe she could stop the racing of her heartbeat and make him get some rest.  
  
His body rolled over hers though, his armor tickling against the thin fabric of her outfit and her skin. She could feel the fringe in his shoulder plates, those bangs of his draping down towards her.  
  
“You, my Hakuno-Ninkasi, are nothing less than the very essence of my being. And you haven’t told me what you dreamed about when you said you dreamed of me.”  
  
“I don’t need to talk about that.”  
  
“I would like to hear it, unless it will break my heart.”  
  
“I would never break your heart, Gilgamesh.” Hakuno lifted her hands up to that face, taking in the skins of babyface still on his cheeks, the warm look in those eyes as he looked at her with that same amazing look in his eyes.  
  
The armor disappeared from his person, a set of robes hanging from his one shoulder and golden jewelry appearing in its place. The gold was cool as he leaned against her more, lips finding hers again.  
  
“I love you.”  
  
“I know you do,” Hakuno replied.  
  
“Please… Please tell me. I don’t want secrets between us. I want to hold you in my arms and know that we are the only two beings in the universe with this undeniable and unhindered connection.”  
  
“There is no way you can know everything I’m thinking,” she pointed out.  
  
“Hakuno.”  
  
She sighed, “I dreamed of us fighting and resting together. I dreamed about baths and sharing food and just talking. It’s nothing exciting, Gil. It’s just normal stuff.”  
  
She could feel him kissing her forehead as she closed her eyes. He kissed her nose next. Then, she felt those lips against her own once again. The boy was getting better at this. She had made him far too confident about what he was doing. Without the bonds of servitude, he was more like his Archer self than Caster. She could see it in the way he moved, in the way those lips tried to take possession of her.  
  
But those eyes opened after once of their kisses. His smile truly soft and open. Her heart began to race faster.  
  
“I love you, Hakuno.”  
  
He said that far too much. Her hand wrapped around the bottle, letting the wine pour forth before she gave in.  
  
“You’re pouring more for us?”  
  
“I’m getting thirsty and your idea is as good as any. We’ll drink regular water when we get back to civilization.” She sipped at the drink, letting the feeling from before sink back into her bones.  
  
“I dreamed about that last night.”  
  
“Hmm?”  
  
“Normal things.” Proto sat up as she sipped at the drink, turning his gaze away. “You are so comfortable with my other selves. You watched Archer play that horrifying game and you rubbed at Caster’s hands before he went to bed. Even when my child self came to bed, you took a few minutes to kiss his forehead and ask him how his day had been. You apologized for using him to stop Caster and you got up for a bit to play games with him.”  
  
“I didn’t need to use him like that. I knew he was upset when we didn’t see him earlier.”  
  
The teen ran a hand over the mark on his palm, tracing the pattern. “I know. You are a pure gift and I am humbled to be with you.”  
  
Ah, usually it was to which only he deserved. You are a gift that only I deserve was the phrase he was looking for. She sipped at more wine.  
  
“I want to have more time like that though.” Proto’s eyes drifted over to her. “I want to rule well enough that you rub my hands from writing and kiss my face to banish the dwelling thoughts away. I want to have you do something to help me in the end that will make me feel upset and have you come to pay tribute in return for the deed. I want to be able to do things that scare you and still have your love so deeply that I can’t deny you.”  
  
She sighed, handing the bottle over and pressing her lips to his. She tasted his lips, finding him blushing a little as he kissed her back. The colored faded a little, those eyes opening to look at her as she pulled back.  
  
“I will do this with you.”  
  
“Do this?”  
  
“I am going to kiss you like my others do. You’re my other half. What is mine is yours. If I am to rule, I should be able to rule over my emotions and do this with you.”  
  
Her hand ran up his chest, feeling those muscles against her fingers as he stole her lips away. His arms wrapped around her, pulling her closer to himself a moment before those hands found her cheeks.  
  
Slowly they worked on this.  
  
Those lips were better than the wine, she thought as she let him take the lead. This was something she enjoyed. Not that the others didn’t enjoy kissing, but they grew bored of the simple gesture, opting to further things. Archer and Caster both found great joy in continuing further, driving her into madness until she could only cling to what little self-control she had and deny her emotions from being set loose.  
  
Prototype didn’t want to continue any further than this. Those lips moved against hers, trying to perfect this simple art. She tilted her head slightly.  
  
“Let me teach you,” she breathed.  
  
He had taught her what to think to make the drink stop pouring forth from her gates. She could show him how to kiss.  
  
Kisses were the key to so many emotions with Gilgamesh. Archer could punish with his kisses, driving her senses into a frayed mess. His kisses were hard and deep, stealing her air within an instant. She found the lack of air driving her mind to a point of an air-starved intoxication. She would run her nails down his chest, returning that savagery with her own.  
  
Caster would kiss her like she was fragile. His soul was weary and it showed in the way he kissed. He would do fleeting kisses, stealing just enough air to make her start to make noise. Then, when she was getting to a point where all the air was gone, he would pull back. His lips would pull back only for those teeth to bite at her lip. She would suck on her lips, making her remain close. Always close. Always pulling back before his heart got too invested.  
  
It wasn’t like that here.  
  
Her so called Prince Charming held her face in his hands and closed his eyes. His lips grew steadily more confident as he went. Over and over he would kiss her. He kissed like she did, wanting to have more, wanting to take in what was happening in just this simple way. As she held onto him, she found his hands moving into her hair. Her name was a whisper on his lips as he looked up at her. His eyes opened, heavy-lidded as she took in her presence.  
  
And then his lips found hers again.  
  
He tried to pour that eloquence in, moving a hand to her waist before he trailed it back up into her hair. He tried to close in the distance between them, but he made himself stop. Holding back. He was holding back on her.  
  
“Gil,” Hakuno breathed, pulling their lips apart again. “You can touch me. I don’t mind.”  
  
Those crimson eyes drank her in, focusing on her lips before he shook his head. His body moved back against the cushions, his arms wrapping around a nearby pillow.  
  
“I am intoxicated,” he told her. “I want to touch you for the first time when I am sober.”  
  
Was he pouting about this?  
  
Hakuno leaned over him, smiling a little as the boy kept his eyes shut. Her lips pressed against his cheek. “Fine then, Prince Charming. Get some rest.”


	11. Chapter 11

“Mother, this is ridiculous!”  
  
“You have stated this already. Please harass me with material that does not waste my eternity.” His mother rubbed at her head, looking at the mongrels seated at the table near her. “Do yourselves a great service and drink the mead first. These two boys are going to complain until the end of time.”  
  
Gudako laughed, shaking her head as she sipped some juice. “I can’t believe how funny this is. And to think, I was going to just head home if Hakuno was fine.”  
  
Caster and Archer both glared at her before looking back at their mother. Archer’s pacing had been joined for a bit by Enkidu, but the being had taken one look at Cu Alter and taken to a wrestling match. As it was, he had half a mind to join the being and dark being in their romp.  
  
Shamefully, Caster had held him back.  
  
“Ninsun,” Caster looked over at their mother, rubbing at his temples. “You must understand. After the death of Ishtar’s maidens and the death of Enkidu, there is enough mutual bad blood to make the entire affair very difficult for Hakuno. She could be harmed or mentally scarred while with the promiscuous woman.”  
  
“I made her carry your teenage self. Ninkasi will be fine.”  
  
“Excuse me?”  
  
“Yes. She has your young self with her as well.” Ninsun smiled as she remembered it. “It was while you and Archer were arguing about where Hakuno would sleep. I simply went inside and talked to Ishtar. I made her hand carry your young self and one of our guards carried Hakuno.”  
  
“You let a guard carry Hakuno!”  
  
Again, another shrug.  
  
Amazing.  
  
“I don’t see what the big deal is either,” Gudako pointed out. “Ishtar has been fine around you all in Chaldea. She sits at the same table as you and eats her food before leaving.”  
  
“And Enkidu flicks their food at her until she runs off or Emiya appears.”  
  
“Do not argue with the mongrel,” Ninsun complained to him. She turned to Gudako, “Mongrel, do not provide your input until asked. I have no desire to bother admonishing my sons from their tempers.”  
  
Lancer, Proto Lancer, and Arthur just stared at the woman, wide eyed and slack faced. They leaned close to their master and continued to stare at her.  
  
“There’s a fucking woman version,” Lancer breathed.  
  
“Don’t piss her off,” Proto Lancer warned.  
  
“Please just stay silent. We can just leave later today before we get stuck doing something foolish here.”  
  
“Mongrels!”  
  
The three jumped as Caster sat up in his seat, glaring at them. “Hakuno is missing. Given what I know of Ishtar, she will most likely go to her temple to proceed with her nonsense.”  
  
“So we’re going back into town?” Gudako smiled. “We can-“  
  
“What my wise, cold son means,” Ninsun pointed out, “Is that Ishtar took my daughter and son to her temple in the mountains. It is not hard to miss. Quite gaudy.” The woman brushed back her hair, adjusting her fur vest and snakeskin top. “It is hard, I suppose, for unloved lesser goddesses to find a proper place for their homes. No doubt she is a bad seed and a curse upon her family.”  
  
Lancer focused on eating as Archer glanced at the mongrels, rubbing at his head.  
  
“I can’t believe I got talked into this,” the lancer murmured.  
  
“Is there something wrong, little half god?”  
  
“Hmm?” Lancer looked over at her.  
  
“I sense your ancestry,” Ninsun pointed out. “You are…”  
  
“Not a damn thing, miss. Just a mongrel, ready to go find your son and daughter as soon as possible.”  
  
A good answer.  
  
Ninsun smiled. “Finish eating at least. We can provide the meal to start your journey. Just please be sure to bring the two back before my other sons become intolerable. Or at least, my mage king. My other son at least remembers himself.” Those eyes glued on him as Enkidu and Alter knocked a table over, slamming against the door and into the hallways.  
  
Archer sighed, moving to sit beside his mother. He waved at the idiots staring, ignoring as well the feeling of his mother brushing his hair back.  
  
“Eat,” he told the idiots. “You were commanded, were you not?”  
  
Arthur smiled at him. “It’s nice to see someone make you show some humility, Archer. Here I thought you were always an asshole.”  
  
“What’s that, boy?” Ninsun’s hands stopped. “Were you in need of a lesson on talking to my sons?”  
  
“He’s not feeling well,” Proto Cu threw in, leaning Arthur’s head over his plate. “Please ignore him, your graciousness.”  
  
“I find them fun,” Ninsun told both Archer and Caster. “Remind me of small pups, always trying to yip at the feet of my herds. They think themselves so important. It’s rather cute.”  
  
“Mother,” Archer pulled her hand from himself, meeting those eyes. “Hakuno should never have left here. You warned me of Proto and then you send him off with her. It’s unwise-“  
  
“I have a plan in place.”  
  
Caster groaned.  
  
“I do!” She looked over at his other self, glaring at the man’s waving her off. “You do not respect what I am trying to accomplish here! We have an opportunity-“  
  
Archer’s grip of her hand tightened, “Not with Hakuno. Never with Hakuno. She is too important.”  
  
“Is she?”  
  
He released that hand, looking her over. “Do not make me repeat myself. You were just complaining like a child over it a moment ago.”  
  
“You have that little faith in your younger self?”  
  
“I trust him to be young and stupid,” Archer replied. “I will join you, Gudako.”  
  
“Oh, boy…” Gudako looked away.  
  
“What?”  
  
“It’s just-“ Gudako paused to look at Ninsun before speaking. She earned a nod. “I have a pretty full party as it is and I know that, if Hakuno was taken somewhere else instead of the mountains…”  
  
She could be.  
  
While the temple was likely, there was still that chance she was elsewhere. His mother had halted any kind of retrieval part of the way there by making him and Caster go to bed without Hakuno. Waking up to find that she was gone had been hard. What's more, Enkidu had lost their temper, needing to be restrained from attacking his mother.  
  
“Then it’s settled.” Ninsun clapped her hands. “The mongrels will travel to Ishtar’s temple and Caster and you can both focus on making that new temple.”  
  
“New temple?” Caster asked.  
  
“She is referring to Hakuno’s temple.”  
  
“Of course. Ninkasi needs a proper temple,” Ninsun pointed out. “She-“  
  
“You will call her Hakuno in private discussions,” Caster demanded. “She is not your plaything. She is our woman. Your time amongst the gods has not been in your favor.”  
  
Why did that make her body seem to melt in her seat a little, those eyes gleaming as she looked at his Caster self?  
  
“Of course, but my sweet daughter needs a proper temple.”  
  
“Hakuno has breweries here and there is a small temple near Ereshkigal’s.”  
  
“You are not suggesting we use that,” Archer pointed out.  
  
Hakuno was new to the prospect of divinity. With people worshiping as they would, she would need a proper place, not that toilet of a closet by Ereshkigal’s temple. While they had been neglectful to most the gods and goddesses to this point, this one was different.  
  
Caster turned his gaze to him. “The budget,” he reminded him.  
  
Money?  
  
“I will provide my own for the project,” Archer replied as coldly.  
  
“And then the gods will complain. We do nothing of the sort. We are retrieving Hakuno and then returning to Chaldea. There’s no need for this playing around with gods and goddesses."  
  
"Their business does not involve us, does it mother?” He used the word mockingly, earning a shrug.  
  
“If you wish to hurt a woman you had loved so deeply, then I suppose.”  
  
“Hakuno will be fine. She’s sturdy,” Caster replied.  
  
The glare that his mother cut the man could have cut down all the lancer clones in one swoop. Regardless of where it was aimed, the two hurried towards the door, turning their caster self around as he entered.  
  
“It ain’t worth the food,” they told him.  
  
Arthur stood up as well, bowing politely to their mother.  
  
“It has been an experience to meet you, goddess Ninsun. I hope you have many worshipers visit today.”  
  
Gudako looked after him a moment before repeating the gesture.  
  
The doors closed behind them.  
  
“I actually quite like them,” Ninsun told the two of them.  
  
Archer groaned. “Caster, you can go investigate in the south. Ishtar wandered towards the other goddess’ land once. She might again if she thinks we’d come invading her temple.”  
  
“You may go, you mean.” Caster shook his head. “I have people to lead.”  
  
Ninsun went to speak, but Archer held up a hand, turning on his other self. “You fight with our mother over something as pathetic as a budget. I have no doubt you’ll be murdering one another before the next sunrise. You will go to the south and check there. I have listened to enough of your babble to Hakuno to know what you do to lead these people. I will watch the palace and keep our mother from doing anything else insufferable.”  
  
Twin glares, but no arguments.  
  
Because he was right and Caster knew it. He knew that he would kill their mother. Their mother was rightfully excited. After all the women they had brought through this palace and bedded during their lifetime, she was seeing them making a different decision.  
  
He understood. She had lost her mortal. She had been away from all that she had known and loved. Only the herds she led had been the balm from the stresses of a kingdom and a growing boy.  
  
Useless.  
  
She was truly useless in terms of where her heart fell. He had been better than that.  
  
Gods be damned, he had defied them in finding Hakuno and her eternity. Never to age, never to change.  
  
“I’m leaving now then.” Caster stood up, moving towards the door. “I will take Enkidu and Cuserker with me as well. Enkidu has a good sense for finding Hakuno.”  
  
They just waved as the man left, Archer changing his attire to his normal robes.  
  
“You have become so handsome and wise,” Ninsun murmured, moving closer. “I am proud of you.”  
  
“You are causing trouble.”  
  
“You will build the temple for Hakuno, will you not?”  
  
“I will build it in the damn palace if I need to,” Archer confirmed, rolling his eyes at the insinuation that he would not. “I am still quite upset with you at the moment. You are causing undue stress to my other selves.”  
  
“Caster does not listen to me any longer. He has become quite upset still over Enkidu’s situation from before.”  
  
He hummed, focusing on the meal before himself. “You will not simply tell us where my woman is, will you?”  
  
“I want time with you.”  
  
“My child self is with you once a month.”  
  
“You turn away from me,” Ninsun complained, her hand turning his face to look at her. “So much like your father, you turn away from me and travel to where I cannot go. I saw this opportunity and sought it out so that I could repair these broken emotions. Your caster self and you are so cold now.”  
  
“Why Prototype, mother?”  
  
“Your child self is too young, like I was informing Ishtar. I knew that Hakuno would turn her down since she loves you. She won’t want to be trained by such an useless goddess. So she will leave. A child cannot protect and cherish her like you can.”  
  
He raised a brow.  
  
“You would be against the trip to begin with. Your Caster self is already so cold. This would have been an end to any communication with him. That left your semi-young self for the duty.” Her hand ran over his cheek. “Hakuno and your younger self will be fine. I have no doubt of that. I have foreseen it, after all. This is just their coming of age journey. She will realize her godhood and he will realize how to be more like himself, like you.”  
  
How annoying.  
  
“Their journey has three days,” he told her. “Once the third sun sets, I want to either find her or have her here.”  
  
“I understand completely.”  
  
“No tricks. No games. No ploys. She will be back in my bed and back in my arms by the third sunset.”  
  
“My son,” Ninsun leaned against him, looking at the rest of the banquet hall. “I will ensure that she finds her way to you one way or another. You have my word. I simply want to allow for her to see the part of you that you hold back so callously.”  
  
“Part of me I hold back?”  
  
“My handsome prince of a son,” Ninsun purred, leaning against him more. “The one that informed me that the steer were unworthy of roaming in the palace bedrooms and who came running to me when he dreamed of his only friend. The one who draped himself and his people in gold and slept amongst lions in hopes that they would grow as bored as him and wish to fight.”  
  
“Such childish nonsense.”  
  
She would want something like that though. His mother had been loath to the idea of leaving the palace after Enkidu’s death, hating it although it meant she could return to the gods for a time. She had not returned to the palace until more recently, opting to only out of desire to see her offspring.  
  
“What do you think of Hakuno?”  
  
“You wish for my thoughts?”  
  
He just turned his gaze to hers, earning another smile from that tired face. “She is plain, but interesting. When I had heard initially of her appearance, I did not believe the clay being, but seeing her and speaking to her, I see the allure. With her power alone, you would be stronger. You would have unparalleled heirs who would make the world grow into a new age.”  
  
“That sounds like you are finding fault.” He could almost hear the but in that statement.  
  
“I do not want you fighting with your other selves over whom to bring my heirs about with. Caster, Prototype as you call him, or yourself would do the job.”  
  
Archer moved to pour himself a glass of wine, motioning for space as he drank deeply.  
  
The sweet wines tasted richer, more sweet than usual.  
  
“You taste it too, do you not?”  
  
“What do you mean?”  
  
Ninsun motioned at his glass, “The changes are already in effect. The wines run sweeter, the beer flows faster amongst the breweries. Her sweet dreams fill the liquors of this land to flow so beautifully for us all. It is through that connection to you that she flourishes so wonderfully.”  
  
“It tastes adequate.”  
  
The others in Chaldea would complain of his drinking far more when he was done here.  
  
“Do you know,” Ninsun purred. “I could bring Shamhat here to work under Hakuno. A goddess needs a head temple maiden. I cannot think of anyone that Enkidu and Hakuno would approve of more than the priestess who tamed your clay friend.”  
  
“Hakuno can decide her own temple maidens.”  
  
“She will be quite preoccupied when she returns. I already saw your arms around her, wrapping your robes around her tightly as you led her back to your chambers and barely letting her breathe. I have seen the way your bodies twist amongst one another. Your souls should have been bound together long before now.”  
  
She was naïve.  
  
“Hakuno is adequate.”  
  
“And what am I, my son?”  
  
“Adequate.”  
  
She simply hummed at that, sipping at her drink before she looked around.  
  
“Do you like running Uruk?”  
  
“It is my duty.”  
  
“I suppose that is true. It would be unwise to simply hate what you were born to do. Only a mongrel would complain about the duties set upon them.”  
  
“You happen to love mongrels. You seemed fond of Gudako and her group.”  
  
“What kind of humans are they, do you think?”  
  
“Future time,” he answered. “They come from the distant future, wishing to save humanity from deviating from history.”  
  
“Rather nonsensical, when you think about it.”  
  
“The humans have grown useless in their thinking and find changing the past to be in their benefit. Gudako and her team repair that damage and find the ones responsible.”  
  
“And Hakuno?”  
  
“She is… unique.”  
  
There were no words that could describe how Hakuno was to his mother. Anything close to an explanation simply would cheapen the relationship he had built around her. It would only seek to build the ire he held for the vain and useless.  
  
“I was summoned by her and she proved herself to be something more than she seemed.”  
  
“You saw it too then.” His mother nodded, adjusting the red skirts she was wearing. “I feel quite proud of seeing that spark of defiance, but I caution you from having her meet any of the other gods. I feel whatever patience and level-headedness that she has would end the moment they would say what they do about you and I. She would slaughter them all with Enkidu to spare us the heartache.”  
  
“Perhaps the gods need to die.”  
  
“I would not be against the idea,” Ninsun agreed, “but the people need their gods, my son. I think showing them our happiness and impossible futures would be the best way to make them regret their actions against us.”  
  
“Would you be able to settle for that, when their deaths are a handwave away?”  
  
Once more, he had those eyes on him, that smile flickering to her features. “Tell me instead, would you be satisfied with your plain little goddess? I know of your adventures and of the blondes you were interested in. I remember well your sexual escapades amongst the women of Uruk and abroad.”  
  
“One must know what cheap wine tastes like to appreciate a fine one,” he answered. “In my case, I tried from the cup of life and found it lacking what I find with her.”  
  
“I could settle,” Ninsun answered as well. “I never truly hated them to begin with. I simply do not care for their pointless distrust and their bothersome complaints. They are still thought of. They should praise their own efforts that they get any thoughts from the mongrels.”  
  
Then they were in accord.  
  
“I will build her temple as an addition to the ziggurat,” he told her. “It will be the only part of the palace that the people can visit to pay their respects. When she returns, I will ensure something worthy of tales as to why her presence must never be severed from my own.”  
  
“You will wed her then.”  
  
“I will perform a temple right that only a king would be worthy of performing. Ensuring that the goddess is unable to turn her gaze or her heart against Uruk.”  
  
The people would find great joy in knowing that their drink supplies would never falter, never be ruined so easily. Liquor was the way that these people functioned in their day to day lives, the breweries ensured that no one suffered from waterborne illness.  
  
There were a few practices he knew about, mostly from when Ninsun had broken away from the gods and decided on mating with a mortal. The religious ceremonies that had been done had been done through careful planning and meticulous care.  
  
Mostly on Ninsun’s part.  
  
His eyes drifted over to the goddess, listening to her babbling on about her wants and hopes for this union. Her hands fiddled with the utensils before them, more for keeping her hands busy than actually eating.  
  
His mother hadn’t done any bonding like this. Only that of the god of the moon and his wife had done so. Even then, they could not part from one another. Parting left a pain in the heart and in the symbol of their bond. It made them ache to part, a reasoning that the goddess Ishtar’s position for love was reasoned.  
  
For him and Hakuno, it would be entertaining to see what would happen. After all, he knew Hakuno would end up having to display her emotions a bit more. This bond and this situation would break some of the monotony they had begun to develop.  
  
And the temple ceremonies would be the most entertaining, especially when she found what he had in store for her.  
  
Ninsun smiled to him once again before she pressed her lips to his forehead. "I must speak to a few gods, but I will come back when you have prepared for speaking with citizens. It has been a long time. I think I will amuse myself with you."


	12. Chapter 12

“Hakuno…”  
  
Hakuno rolled over, wrapping her arms around the body she was holding more. Her face pressed against the warm body, ignoring the voice so she could bury her face amongst the gold jewelry.  
  
“My moon, we need to go while the sun is down.”  
  
“Gil, let me rest.”  
  
The voice chuckled, arms wrapping around her more so the body she was holding could get up. She felt them moving the hands along her person, bundling her under a cloth before she was picked up.  
  
“Very well then, Hakuno. I’ll let you rest upon me for a while longer.”  
  
She leaned against his chest, ignoring it all.  
  
She would indeed rest against him for a while. Child Gilgamesh would come along when it was time to actually get up. He’d jump on the bed and Caster would lose his temper. And then, while the two were trying to murder one another, Archer would simply decide he was above the fighting and drag her to the bathroom so they could have quality time together.  
  
She knew the routine so well at this point.  
  
A pair of lips pressed against her forehead as a door shut behind them. The sound of jewelry clinking could be heard, only offset by the sound of the wind.  
  
Wind?  
  
Hakuno blinked as she slowly opened her eyes, staring up at the myriad of stars that littered the skies above them. Once again, she found herself in Uruk.  
  
Or not Uruk. She was in Babylonia somewhere.  
  
“Gil?”  
  
“Did you rest enough? We have not wandered that far.” Proto smirked down at her. “You cling so deeply to me while you rest. One would think you were starved for attention.”  
  
“Put me down, I can walk.” Hakuno looked around, seeing the town in the distance behind them. “Do you know which way we’re going?”  
  
“I do.”  
  
Well, that was something at least. She moved out of his arms, brushing herself off a bit from the sand that had gotten on her. Pulling the robes around herself a bit more, she frowned.  
  
“Why is it cold here?”  
  
“The sun has set.” Proto motioned around them. “While it might become very hot in the afternoons, it cools right off at night. The sands will kick up in a while. I want to be sure to be in the grasslands soon.”  
  
“Right.”  
  
His hand wrapped around hers, pulling her forward. “We’re going in opposition to that star back there,” he motioned at one of probably a thousand stars above them. “So long as we keep to that direction, we’ll be reaching the walls near Uruk eventually.”  
  
“You’re sure?”  
  
“There’s two rivers around Uruk. We’ll reach one of them if not the wall.”  
  
She hoped the Euphrates would turn up soon.  
  
There was nothing out here in the open fields and hillsides. The stars above them glinted as they moved in the direction of the moon. Or for a while they did. The moon began to drift as they walked, traveling amongst the dots of light around it. She kept her hand firmly in the other’s, keeping close as they moved through the terrain.  
  
“Did you learn to read the stars when you were younger?”  
  
“I did. They are interesting to see when you are not trapped within the palace.”  
  
“I imagine your mother didn’t want you wandering too far.”  
  
Proto glanced over at her, stroking her hand as they walked. “I wandered off often. It drove her mad sometimes. I’d fall asleep in caravans and wander into the woods to find lions and other beasts to entertain myself with. There was one beast I heard of that I needed to investigate, but I could never find it. It roamed mostly with wolves.”  
  
“Enkidu.”  
  
He nodded. “It would seem that the beast had a name after all. I can respect what it did when it fought with the hunters of the woods.”  
  
It was at least interesting to hear that the man had been in contact with his friend before they had formally met in Uruk. She had always wanted to learn more, but Child Gilgamesh’s memories were too fragmented. He grew headaches when she asked too much. Then Caster and Archer had always remembered from the day they fought Enkidu in the city.  
  
There was more to their story than what little Archer said before falling asleep intoxicated.  
  
“What was your favorite memory from wandering out of the palace?”  
  
“Hmm?”  
  
“What’s your favorite memory?”  
  
“I will tell you of mine if you tell me of yours?”  
  
That was fair. It wouldn’t be from youth, but she could tell him her favorite memory. Although… “If you tell Archer my favorite memory, I’m not responsible for what I do to you.”  
  
The boy smirked at her, looking around at the world around them once more. “I suppose… My favorite memory would be this one time I ran out of the palace to roam into the Euphrates.”  
  
“Oh?”  
  
“I ended up falling asleep on the side of the river and dreaming about a woman coming out of the water and seducing me. She wasn’t anything that fancy, but she was still radiant in her own way. It was…” He laughed a little, looking away. “Nevermind. It’s when I first fought with one of my weapons. What’s your favorite memory?”  
  
“I want to hear more about the woman you dreamed about.” Hakuno moved closer, watching the other avoid her gaze. “Was she a human or a goddess or-“  
  
“Hakuno,” he groaned, glancing over at her. “You’re supposed to be telling me of your favorite memory. What is this memory that is so interesting that I must not feel the need to inform my Archer self of it?”  
  
“My favorite memory is when Archer saved me from being deleted and sat naked in a room on one of the seats and was an asshole.”  
  
“Truly?”  
  
“Absolutely.”  
  
Another laugh. The teen shook his head at her. “You know, there might be something wrong with you if you find that to be your favorite memory.”  
  
“I had started to forget him though and then he was right there and all the memories came right back. And you hadn’t changed entirely. You were still a jerk, but I had gotten used to you and I knew there was a little more to you.”  
  
“Still an asshole though.”  
  
“True, but I’m not the kindest person either.”  
  
“Here I would have thought having the others with you would be a favorite memory. Maybe getting to be close to them? Instead you tell me its me when I was an arrogant idiot.”  
  
“You did save me.”  
  
The boy hummed noncommittally, glancing around before he turned that gaze back to her. “I suppose I’ll just have to work on building a memory more powerful than that.”  
  
“Like?”  
  
“I could teach you about the stars.”  
  
He could. She wouldn’t necessarily be against learning about the stars.  
  
“I suppose you should probably learn about the gods though. There’s a lot of information that you don’t know and it would probably be to your benefit to know before we return to Uruk.”  
  
“I think I know enough about them.” Honestly, she had read a bit on Ishtar and Ereshkigal, enough to know that she didn’t really want to know.  
  
“No, it’s important. We can start with those that are most important for you.” Gilgamesh wrapped an arm around her, holding her close as they walked. “We can start with Enki.”  
  
“Like your weapon.”  
  
“My weapon was crafted by him. As was Ea, although I doubt that Archer and Caster will admit that to you. Enki is the god of creation. He forms different things through his magic. He was talented until he found himself creating something that was beyond his ability to contain.”  
  
“What do you mean?”  
  
“He found a way to create divine life, but he couldn’t control himself. He created the original Ninkasi and a handful of other gods and goddesses through his craft.”  
  
“He did?”  
  
“My teacher informed me that I would learn later of his methods, but in the tale I was told, he created the divine ones with the help of Ki and sent them off to work. I’ve met Enki once, but only for him to hand me these blades.” He pat his waist, where Enki glinted against his belt.  
  
“So Enki is like a father?”  
  
“He will probably refer to himself as yours, yes. He’s prideful. I doubt you becoming his daughter will bother him. He’s fond of my mother and I.”  
  
How odd, as Enkidu would say. She wasn’t sure what to make of someone calling themselves her father out of nowhere.  
  
“Then there’s Enlil. The god of the fates. I could see yesterday that he was on our side, blocking us from having to be caught by Ishtar.”  
  
“He could have found us a way back to Uruk.”  
  
“Hero journeys are not about the destination, Hakuno. They are about how the hero progresses through challenges.”  
  
“Is that what you think this is?”  
  
Traveling through sand and calm weather, hungry and cold as they hoped to find civilization?  
  
If this was the hero’s adventure, she was quite content with being in Chaldea. She would rather bath Enkidu every day for a month and attempt to keep their hair straightened than have to deal with the rest of this adventure. In fact, she’d add on another couple months if she could create water instead of wine.  
  
“And then of course, I ended up running into him when I reached the top of the gates,” Gilgamesh went on, chatting along about some adventure of his through Uruk. Hakuno looked over at him, watching the teen lead the way. She could see child Gil when he got excited. For whatever he was going on about, there was still the ornery kid that chased after her and Mash in Chaldea underneath.  
  
Her hand tightened on his a little.  
  
“Hmm?” The boy glanced over at her. “Hakuno?”  
  
“Do you think things will go back to normal?”  
  
“Normal? Do you want them to?”  
  
“What do you mean?”  
  
“Well,” he snorted a bit, his grin faltering. “You didn’t seem all that impressed when you summoned me. And then when Caster and Archer came and you spent time in their room, you seemed more entertained by the device in your hands than at having their company. Do you truly want to go back to that kind of entertainment?”  
  
“It wasn’t bad.”  
  
He had a point though. She had gotten more engrossed in talking to Gudako that evening than in Gil’s games. To be fair, he had been enjoying something that she didn’t and she wasn’t going to necessarily make him stop playing because she didn’t care for them. That was just stupid.  
  
Proto shrugged a bit, looking into the distance. The ground had become hard, grass blooming forth as they walked further and further into the distance.  
  
The sound of babbling water entered the air. Creatures sang out as Gilgamesh let her hand go, running forward. His hands tore at his robes, his shouts filling the air before he splashed into the river.  
  
“Hakuno!”  
  
Had he really just run into the water like that? She grinned, following after him and pulling at her own attire. She leaped, finding herself smacking against the river and going under. Fish swam in dark circles around her feet, making her hurry for the surface again.  
  
“It’s freezing!”  
  
Proto’s arms wrapped around her again, pulling her in close before she found his lips against hers. His body pressed against hers, holding her tightly to himself as he dripped that frigid water onto her. She couldn’t help but shiver against him, pulling him deeper into the water. At least she could maybe get used to the temperature, so long as the winds didn’t hit her.  
  
“I don’t think I have ever seen a woman just dive into the water before with me,” Proto purred.  
  
“It’s freezing cold, Prince Charming,” she chastised. “You could have warned me!”  
  
“That’s fine. I will pull some warm clothing from the Gates when we get out. For now, let’s enjoy ourselves. We’ve been walking for half the damn night.”  
  
They had, but she clung to him, finding the idiot pulling her deeper into the depths of the water. “I can’t swim, Gil.”  
  
“Oh no?”  
  
“No, and unless there’s some absolute goddess talent I’m unaware of that fixes that, let’s keep me towards the shore.”  
  
“You want to stay by the shore?” Proto laughed a little. “Truly? Do you know long I have waited to see you naked?”  
  
“What?”  
  
Her shriek killed the sounds of the wildlife, earning her that obnoxious laugh she knew all too well as the teen held her above the water by her hips. She smacked at him, earning even more amusement before he dropped her.  
  
Straight in.  
  
Her eyes were fixed on him as she broke the surface, legs around his waist. The man deserved to suffer. Whatever that had been about, she was going to see to it he never did that again.  
  
“Hello my little moon,” he purred, tossing his arms over her shoulders and pulling her close. “I needed to see you and you look radiant under the light of the moon, water glistening from your every outline. Makes me want to just-“  
  
A gate opened over his head, liquor pouring forth like a waterfall onto him before he could go on. The boy had to dive under the water, swimming them closer to the shore. Her feet met solid earth and she grinned, leaning against the side of the river.  
  
“Prince Charming, I think I’m starting to like this.”  
  
“You know I’m going to need to wash that out. You just wasted perfectly good drink.”  
  
“You need to drink less,” she pointed out.  
  
Those red eyes fixed on hers, smirk mimicking her own as the boy moved in closer. “Do you think I will simply let you waste precious drink on simply getting what you want?”  
  
“I would never dream of it.”  
  
Those eyes narrowed more. His hands running slowly up her person.  
  
“What are you doing?”  
  
“I’m deciding on how best to take you. I’m thinking right here on the riverside would be best. I can let the Euphrates pay tribute to you while I make sure you cling to every inch of my wine drenched self.”  
  
“I would recommend you do such things in a bedroom, boy, but seeing as its Enki youngling in your arms, I would recommend you tread carefully in whatever decision you make.”  
  
Proto stumbled, the gates appearing over them a moment before Hakuno found herself buried underneath cloth. So much cloth. They stumbled from the water’s edge, looking over at the being that had spoken.  
  
Strange red eyes glanced their way, their beard had been carefully braided and fixed into place, with his robes carefully wrapped around their body. The moon reflected from the top of their head, showing off that rather large bald spot as they held their cane in hand and sat against a tree.  
  
“Enlil, what are you doing here?” Gil fumbled to correct the robes around himself, glancing towards his weapons nearby. They were too far away. There wouldn’t be time to get them if they needed them. She should have pulled them closer to the water.  
  
“I came to meet the new goddess and your mother informed me that she was out investigating the world. A rather interesting statement, although I find that seeing you de-aged from when I saw you in the afternoon, I’m not sure what to think.”  
  
“You’re Enlil?”  
  
Those eyes turned to her, the man’s frail looking body lifting up from where he sat. “I am, little mortal. The god of time, but you must already be aware of that. Are you from Nippur? Maybe somewhere north? You feel… Eastern from us for some reason.”  
  
“I am not from around here. I just learned about you earlier this evening from Pr- from King Gilgamesh.” She wouldn’t use her nickname for him in front of this being.  
  
“You are a mage as well?”  
  
“I am.”  
  
“Yet you stand so confidently?” The old man paced around her, clicking his tongue. “So young, so plain. My gods, have the mortals infested the young king’s brain that terribly? We left Ninsun to watch over her son and this is what we get in return? A mortal girl who cannot look a thing like her counters. And I am to call you Ninkasi?” He snorted.  
  
“You can call me by my name if you don’t want to use Ninkasi.”  
  
“A mortal name? As though I would lower myself to such lengths.” The man’s fingers snapped. “Boy! I see your aims. Should Enki learn that you wished to use his namesake to harm me, he would become quite irate.”  
  
“You do not insult my empress.”  
  
“I do not insult anything.” Enlil’s eyes turned back to her after casting the kid a look. “Now, I return to my original complaints. You are quite boring.”  
  
“I’m sorry?”  
  
“You're forgivable, but does not resolve the problem. You are boring. I have watched you both all night. Walk and walking through the area, talking like two love-sick fools. I almost wished a plague upon you both for being so immensely unworthy of time.”  
  
“You could have shown up,” Hakuno pointed out.  
  
“And walk?!”  
  
Was he kidding?  
  
She didn’t know whether to laugh or shout. They had walked for miles. Her feet were beginning to whine about that fact and this god was basically there the whole time. Without having to use any effort. He had just watched and listened to them…  
  
And she had talked about Archer!  
  
The more the fact sunk in, the more her head was already hurting. They had been a second from safety and the palace if this god had just taken a moment to show his face and greet them. Instead he had skulked behind them like some kind of ghost.  
  
“Oh?”  
  
Hakuno glared at him.  
  
“She is angry now,” Enlil observed.  
  
“What do you want?”  
  
“Me? I don’t particularly want anything. I am simply here to point out that you aren’t truly the same material that we normally have for goddesses. Too plain. Too small. Too angry.” The last bit he widened his eyes for, motioning at her with his cane.  
  
“I didn’t even want to be a goddess to begin with.”  
  
“Oh no?”  
  
“I’m perfectly fine with being how I was before.”  
  
“Hakuno-“  
  
“Quiet boy,” Enlil told Prototype. Those red eyes turned to her again. “Go on. How was before?”  
  
Hakuno glanced at Prototype, seeing something in that expression. Her eyes moved to the god before her. The god of fate…  
  
“I was saying I am perfectly fine with being how I was before, although I appreciate the opportunity to be close to Gilgamesh again.”  
  
“You just added that last bit. What was before like? I could help, you know…”  
  
She took a step away.  
  
Nights with Merlin could come and go long before she would talk to this god about her life. At least the mage of flowers was obvious about what he would do. This being…  
  
No, she wouldn’t say anything more than necessary.  
  
“Can you unfreeze Gilgamesh? We should be getting back to Uruk.”  
  
“Do you truly wish to go back?”  
  
“Yes, I do.” She turned away, heading towards Gil again when Gil’s voice echoed behind her. “You didn’t seem all that impressed when you summoned me. And then when Caster and Archer came and you spent time in their room, you seemed more entertained by the device in your hands than at having their company. Do you truly want to go back to that kind of entertainment?”  
  
Her movement stopped, eyes drifting back to the being.  
  
“Do not think to leave information out from me, little Ninkasi. I am the god of fates, not the god of ignorance. I know that the king has been duplicated in multiple ages. I know that you travel with whom was deemed the weakest by Ninsun’s standards.”  
  
“Excuse me?”  
  
Enlil laughed, the cane waving slightly in his hands. “You see a frail man before you, hear things you do not like, and then you deem to simply leave without tithe. Truly, your arrogance is only second to the king’s.”  
  
“I have not asked you for anything other than returning Gilgamesh to normal. If you do that, then maybe a tithe can be talked about. Right now, I just want to get back to Uruk and find some medicine.”  
  
“Are you ailed, child?”  
  
“Currently by one aggravating headache, yes.” It was about her height with a bald head, beady red eyes, and a cane that was neither useful for magic or for walking.  
  
“Ninkasi,” the god replied. “Tell me, if you could change your fate in any way from this point forward, what would you do?”  
  
“Make it so I was in bed so I could take a damn nap.”  
  
“And then?”  
  
“Eat.”  
  
“And then?”  
  
She sighed, running a hand through her hair. She didn’t have time for this. She was feeling as impatient as Archer did when he was being interrogated by Gudako about something he actually hadn’t done. As rare as those moments were.  
  
What would she do to change fate if she could?  
  
Obviously, something she would love to do is go back and not kill her friends, but they had gone against her. Changing that would make it so they probably killed her. And changing fate in moving forward in time?  
  
“I can’t answer your question.”  
  
“Why is that?”  
  
“If I could change my fate in any way from this point forward, then it wouldn’t necessarily be fated to begin with, would it? And how would I know what happens next? It’s not like this is a story.” Gods, she could only imagine the horrors she’d have to face then.  
  
“There is nothing that you wish for, Ninkasi?”  
  
“I wish to go back to Uruk with Gilgamesh. Does that count?”  
  
Enlil sighed, rubbing his forehead now.  
  
“See,” he motioned at her. “This is why mortals are boring goddesses and gods. They should not be permitted such gifts when they clearly overthink. Take your arrogant king.” The man snapped his fingers. Gilgamesh’s arms wrapped around her waist in less than a minute afterwards, swords extended towards the god again.  
  
“You’re leaving?”  
  
“You have chosen your own demise,” Enlil replied, glancing over his shoulder. “Little mongrel goddess, I leave you with this: All of the gods and goddesses are slaves to their own desires. It is fated that way. Because of that, we check and balance one another. In your case, you are the balance to your other half. But with all love, comes challenges. Be sure to think as you have tonight before acting upon your whims.”  
  
The man stopped, shaking his head before hurrying over to her.  
  
“Also, since you are the goddess whom sates the heart, provide nourishment for a frail, old man. I must return to Enki and An soon after they have their visits. They are quite assholes, to use your words from earlier. Pity a man and provide him with nourishment to survive the onslaught of complaints.”  
  
A gate formed over the bottle as Hakuno pressed her hand to it, the wine poured forth, filling the bottle before it was promptly capped and returned to his robes.  
  
The god coughed, adjusting his attire before he turned.  
  
“Right. Well, remember my words, little goddess.”  
  
Gilgamesh didn’t move until the man was gone, his swords slowly pulling back until he returned them to his gates. He picked up their clothes and handed hers over.  
  
“Let’s change quickly and begin the walk,” he told her. “Uruk is maybe a half day to a day’s walk from here, I’m guessing. We’ll walk along the river until we reach the bridge.”  
  
“Do you think Enlil is still listening?”  
  
Gilgamesh looked around, closing his eyes a moment before he shook his head.  
  
“No, I think he was trying to warn us about something. I don’t trust him mentioning Enki and An. Those aren’t gods we want to meet.”  
  
“Right. Let’s hurry.”


	13. Chapter 13

The skies above their heads were changing colors the next time that they stopped. Her feet were beyond the point of pain and Gil’s offering to hold her at times was starting to get to her. He didn’t need to be carrying her through everything. The ziggurat was in the distance though.  
  
“Finally.”  
  
Hakuno pulled him to sit next to her, wrapping her arms around him.  
  
“No Enlil?”  
  
“Just you and I, Hakuno.” Proto smiled a little, leaning himself against her more.  
  
“Thank the gods. I don’t need someone listening to us all the time. It’s awkward.”  
  
“You could have asked for anything though. I find it interesting that you didn’t have anything to ask him in regards to your fate.”  
  
“I asked for us to get back and to eat.”  
  
“Such simple requests.”  
  
Hakuno looked over at him, shaking her head. “How are your feet? You’ve been walking more than I have.”  
  
“Sore, but they’ll finish our walk here in a bit. Just give them some time to adjust.”  
  
“We could stick them in the water.”  
  
Proto just raised a brow at her. “And then we will have another enemy upon us. I will pass on the offer. Better to simply wait it out. Besides, I can simply bask in your radiance and then continue our adventure.”  
  
“You make it sound like I’m far prettier than I am.”  
  
“You are exactly my type,” Proto replied, pressing his lips to one of her hands. “I would change nothing about you. Except maybe to rid you of my other selves so that I could have you for myself. Why I had to be summoned last amongst them, I will never understand.”  
  
“You may have been summoned last, but I appreciate having you with me. I think you’ve handled everything far better than the others would.” Hakuno looked towards the ziggurat in the distance. “Caster would have tried to take over the conversation with Enlil. Archer would still be fighting with Ishtar. He wouldn’t have hidden away or listened to me. And Child Gil… He probably would have gotten tired so much sooner than you. We would have stopped a hundred more times than this.”  
  
“I am the best of them, I agree.”  
  
She didn’t mean it like that. Hakuno sighed.  
  
“Hakuno.”  
  
His hand pressed to her cheek. “You are my moon and stars. Do not be shy about telling me when you believe I am wrong. I appreciate the fact that you are so honest and confident in defying me. Even when you are upset, you understand the value of what you have around you. It is alluring.”  
  
“Speaking of the night sky.” Hakuno looked up. “Let’s not spend too long here. We’re going to end up walking in daylight at this rate. You said it was a half day from where we had been before?”  
  
“We just need to cross the bridge and wander through the city.”  
  
That wouldn’t be that long at all.  
  
Hakuno smiled a little, motioning at Gilgamesh. “Lift your feet up.”  
  
“Huh? Why do you need my feet up?”  
  
“Hand them over,” Hakuno told him again, accepting nothing less as the boy turned around. Confused, he held his feet up for her and frowned more when she set one on her lap and began to undo his sandals.  
  
“What are you doing?”  
  
“I’m going to rub your feet. You’ve been walking on them all night.”  
  
“Rub- Hakuno! You are a goddess! You can’t just be rubbing people’s feet!”  
  
She gave him a look, running her thumbs up his foot. The boy stared at her. He should just accept it honestly. It wasn’t like she was going to hurt him. Nothing said she couldn’t indulge him a little. He wasn’t like Archer, who would let the whole thing go to his head.  
  
Her fingers moved along his calloused foot, frowning a little at the state it was in. Much like his hands, these feet had seen better days.  
  
“You’re supposed to be a king of indulgence and you’re running around on feet that look like they’ve run a thousand miles.”  
  
“We’ve probably walked at least fifty,” the boy complained, laying back and staring up at the skies.  
  
“Yeah, but that doesn’t mean you should be just ignoring them. You have to take better care of yourself. Otherwise, you’ll end up killing yourself by working.”  
  
“I doubt I would ever do such a thing.”  
  
“Okay, Archer.” She pressed against a particularly big knot, watching him wince a little.  
  
“Don’t call me that.”  
  
“You don’t like being called by your class name?”  
  
“My archer self is an idiot. He has you and yet he plays video games and listens to my caster self.”  
  
“Your caster self is a great king. He keeps Uruk in great shape and he listens to his people. He works harder and better than anyone I’ve ever met.”  
  
“And he lazes around with paperwork and whines about not having enough time with you to Enkidu. I’ve seen his hard work. It drains him.”  
  
“And Archer takes over at times, ruling when Caster is busy.”  
  
“He is arrogant and-“  
  
“Do you not think you are arrogant then?”  
  
“I’m far better than that.” Proto glared at her. “I would never look in another direction, Hakuno. I will have you know that I’m going to prove to be the best husband that you could have ever dreamed of having. I won’t distract myself with stupid things or wander off to spend time with anyone else.”  
  
She sighed. “That sounds boring.”  
  
“What?!”  
  
It did though.  
  
What would be more dull than spending every waking moment with someone, who had no other interest than in them. There wouldn’t be anything interesting them in what you did or how you did things. For them, Archer had his games and his other hobbies. They didn’t interest her, but she enjoyed the way he got when he got caught up in them. When he would scare her with the games, he always ended up curling up in bed with her afterwards, pulling her close and complaining about the jump scares as though they had scared him as well.  
  
Caster would get caught up in his kingdom, but it was interesting and he took great pride in his world. Working that hard was something he did to pass the time.  
  
And Kid Gil had a habit of slipping out to flirt with Mash or with other women. It was honestly just funny to see him try to be like his older selves.  
  
Proto…  
  
Well-  
  
“You don’t want to have any hobbies?”  
  
“I am a king. My hobbies are doing whatever pleases me. You please me.”  
  
“You’ll get bored.” Hakuno shook her head at him. “There’s no point to a relationship if all you’re going to do is spend all of your time with one another and doing whatever they want. You have to have something for yourself too.”  
  
“I will share whatever I have with you.”  
  
“Then that’ll get boring. We’re not the same person, Gil.”  
  
“You would rather I look at other women then?” He pulled his foot away, almost getting his other foot away as well before she caught it. Her hands went to work on that one instead. “Hakuno-“  
  
“Calm down, Prince Charming. I don’t mean that I don’t love you. I just mean that you have to have something for yourself. Whether it’s fighting or games or something- You have to have something that is uniquely yours. None of your other selves are interested in reading about mana circuits with me. Nor do they like half the romance novels I borrow from Bathory and Nero.”  
  
“Romance novels?” The boy grinned knowingly.  
  
“Don’t get excited. Your older selves complain that they give a false impression of sex.” Although she never heard Archer complain too much when another book made it to their room.  
  
“I could read with you,” Proto offered.  
  
“That would be fun, but it wouldn’t necessarily be something that makes you yourself happy. It would just be something that makes us happy together.”  
  
“I don’t understand why you feel the need to make me have my own thing.”  
  
“What do you do when you aren’t with me? What did you do before?”  
  
“Fight, eat, sleep, steal books from caravans.”  
  
Okay, so the stealing wouldn’t go down well with Caster but-  
  
“What kind of texts did you steal from the caravans?”  
  
“Magic tomes of course.” Proto yawned. “I have a vague interest in the curses and spells from other countries. Uruk magic is the best, naturally, but I keep a wary eye on our neighboring kingdoms. If they know something that I could benefit from having, then it only makes sense that I should have that knowledge. I also enjoy raising lion cubs, I suppose.”  
  
“Lion cubs?”  
  
“They’re small beasts that-“  
  
“I know what they are. I just didn’t know that you raised them.”  
  
Proto grinned, pulling his other foot away from her. “They are prized beasts, Hakuno. There’s nothing more magnificent in the animal kingdom. They have great manes and claw and fangs. You’d love them. When we have returned to Uruk, I will show you some of them.”  
  
“How does one even tame a lion?”  
  
“It takes a gentle hand and a patient soul,” Proto replied easily. His hands stroked hers as he held them. Those red eyes were locked on her own as his lips pressed to her hands. “I rest beside them at night, allowing them to grow accustomed to my presence. I murmur to them as well, letting them get used to the sound of my voice. Then, over time, I begin to praise them for their good work. Every time I am pleased with something they do, I reward them. Soon they do as I please all the time, appreciating the mere presence of me in a room. They also indulge upon the bodies of my enemies.”  
  
A little bloodthirsty at the end there, but she was still with him.  
  
Hakuno grinned though. “Maybe you could bring a couple cubs back to Chaldea with us. You could keep them around and show me how you train them.”  
  
“It’ll be a while before they will be used to you. I can’t simply do it in one go for you to be able to pet them.”  
  
“I am still bad at video games. I’m patient. Trust me.”  
  
Proto rolled his eyes at that, but his hands were holding hers again and he was in a better mood. Probably hadn’t expected to meet resistance on being together all the time. She couldn’t say that she hated having him around all the time either. His intentions were sweet.  
  
“Shall we get moving again, my goddess of indulgence?” Proto moved to his feet again, pulling her lightly to her own. “There is still a ways to go until we get back to Uruk.”  
  
“I guess we can.” Hakuno moved to his feet, helping him back into his sandals and ignoring his complaints of being able to do it himself. When she straightened, he pulled her in close, pressing his lips to hers.  
  
His face was still flushed when he did that.  
  
“We will need to work on that,” Hakuno told him.  
  
“Work on what?”  
  
“Your embarrassment every time I kiss you. We’re alone right now.”  
  
“I know we are. You would become quite flushed in the face if you had not been so heinously touched by my other selves. They ruined your purity.”  
  
“I never blushed when Gil took me the first time.” At least, she didn’t think so.  
  
Maybe she had though.  
  
She certainly had felt flushed thinking about the gardens the other day. Archer was no doubt still enjoying that memory in particular.  
  
“They are troublesome,” Proto complained. “And then you have those other two. Arthur and Cu Prototype. I don’t like any of them. Those last two will do nothing else but tell you slander against my good name. Do you know what a pain they are? And Arthur cannot fight like a proper man. His strength is great, I will give, but he’s a complete pain in the ass and he fights with as much honor as a thief. You should not trust them.”  
  
“Cu Prototype is fair though.”  
  
“Oh, he’s fair. And I’ve got a good mind that he would flirt with you if he had the opportunity. You say the word and he’s a dead man.”  
  
Hakuno sighed. Some things were fated. Clearly Archer’s behavior was from teenage years onward.  
  
The world around them lightened, a mist slowly rising from the river as they moved closer to the bridge. Her hand wrapped around Proto’s as they walked, not wanting to get lost as the fog thickened. The ziggurat was slowly, very slowly beginning to disappear behind the clouds of fog.  
  
“This is unnatural,” Gilgamesh murmured.  
  
No kidding.  
  
The thick clouds of fog were closing in around them though.  
  
Hakuno listened to Gilgamesh pull Enki from his waist, fixing the blades together.  
  
“Is… Is that a bow?”  
  
Prototype raised a brow at her. “I’m an Archer, Hakuno. Of course it’s a bow. What else would I use?”  
  
What else would he use? What a great question.  
  
She wasn’t going to answer that.  
  
“I’m tired. Please ignore me.”  
  
“Hold onto me,” he replied easily, kissing her forehead and pulling her in. He pointed the bow towards the world around them.  
  
Nothing was appearing though. The fog just continued to thicken.  
  
“By the order of the king of Uruk! I demand you show yourself, mongrel!”  
  
Hakuno felt the fog barrel in.  
  
The world and Gilgamesh disappeared.  
  
Her hands closed on nothing.  
  
She looked around again, moving to look around carefully. She didn’t want to hit Gilgamesh by mistake. If that happened, the man would be wounded and she didn’t have the energy to take him very far. She would end up having to leave him somewhere and come back for him.  
  
That didn’t seem like a great plan in general. Leaving a king in the middle of nowhere sounded like a recipe for trouble.  
  
Yet if she didn’t prepare for some kind of attack, at least on some front, she could be hit. If someone was using the fog to attack them, then they needed to fight back.  
  
She would use the gates she had then. Douse them in liquor and set them on fire with magic. Cu Caster had shown her enough about fire runes to make that possible.  
  
Damn, but she had kind of hoped to be able to show him that she had managed them with him around. Maybe he would just be impressed from wherever in Uruk he was.  
  
She looked around again, trying to make out anything in the thick clouds of white around her. She dug her feet into the ground below her a little, trying to stand her ground. If they were somehow using magic, she wanted her body firmly in place and grounded. The beings couldn’t psych her out with any tricks.  
  
“Ninkasi,” a voice murmured.  
  
She turned, aiming a hand towards the world beyond her. The voice had come in the direction the ziggurat had been in. She had kept her back towards where the palace stood.  
  
“Ninkasi.”  
  
Opposite direction. They were moving. No way to tell which way they were traveling, but they were going full circle. Her hands lowered to her sides, her mind flickering to what she wanted.  
  
Fill gates around her. She’d douse them as they came closer.  
  
She had a good few inches of sight around her now. Gilgamesh had to be a certain distance away at this point.  
  
“Prince Charming!”  
  
The world around them was quiet. Whoever was attacking, they had either taken down Gil or made it so that they couldn’t hear one another.  
  
Well then.  
  
The gates opened around her, pouring forth a great deal of liquor around her. Hakuno closed her eyes a moment, forming the lines of the rune in her mind’s eye before fire burst forth.  
  
The world became engulfed in flames.  
  
Wild flames, kicking up towards the gates as Hakuno let them close in a flourish towards the ground further out from her.  
  
The fog dissipated, falling back. She could see Gilgamesh in his golden attire in the distance.  
  
He looked over at her for a moment, opening his mouth to call out when the fog thickened again.  
  
Damn them.  
  
Hakuno opened the portals again, letting more liquor pour forth. More fire. She let the flames go haywire, spreading around her until she could make out another figure amongst the thick clouds of fog.  
  
Their eyes drifted to hers before they dissipated with the clouds.  
  
Who the hell was that?  
  
“Hey!”  
  
She shouted towards them, but there was nothing.  
  
She was going to find them. If she had to destroy all the clouds around her, then so be it. She’d take this person down a notch.  
  
Where though.  
  
Where was this person hiding? Why were they attacking?  
  
She stopped for a moment, closing the gates and letting the flames be tempered down by the fog. Her eyes roamed over the dying flames, trying to see any indication of the being.  
  
“You are a goddess of destruction and mixed blood, I see.”  
  
She spun around, aiming another set of attacks only to hit nothing.  
  
Damn him.  
  
She hadn’t even gotten a good look at whoever it was.  
  
“Ninkasi,” the voice breathed in the very air around her. There was no way to tell where they were now. They were taunting her.  
  
“Come out where I can see you or I’m going to set the entire area on fire,” Hakuno warned.  
  
“So very much like that king of yours,” the voice countered. “You would rather attack and fight entirely before actually having a conversation.”  
  
“There’s no having a conversation with a coward who would rather hide in the fog than talk to me face to face. How did you find me?”  
  
“I was directed your way,” the voice replied. They were closer. She could sense something. She just needed a bit more time to figure out where.  
  
Damn, but she needed Gil to stay away for a bit longer.  
  
Something slammed in front of her eyes, cutting through the fog. She saw someone, she fired.  
  
The flames burst forth, slamming into the being as they tried to turn around to run. Liquor came out of the gates as Hakuno ran forward. Gilgamesh was hot on her heels, aiming another set of arrows in the man’s direction. They pinned him to the ground with those arrows.  
  
The man, whoever he was, was trapped.  
  
Those pure white eyes turned in their direction. The fog faded until it pressed tightly to them, putting out the fire.  
  
“Beasts!”  
  
“Don’t move or we’ll actually manage to kill you.” Hakuno warned.  
  
“My woman is right. We will kill you and I will take great pleasure in laughing while it happens. Ereshkigal herself can figure out where you stand in terms of the afterlife.”  
  
“Boy, you would do well to put the weapon down. I know the god who gifted you that and Ea. He would not sit well with knowing you call both those weapons and his child yours.”  
  
Hakuno narrowed her eyes.  
  
“Who are you?”  
  
“Demanding an introduction before introducing yourself. The audacity of youth.”  
  
“My queen has asked you a question.” Proto launched another arrow at the man, landing it between his legs. The man stopped moving.  
  
“You both would dare to attack a man without knowing their intentions and identity?”  
  
Hakuno looked at Prototype. They had managed to pin the person down. Whoever they were, they were definitely weaker. They could easily take the man down if they needed to.  
  
“My name is Hakuno Kishinami,” Hakuno told the man. “This is the king of Uruk, Gilgamesh. Who are you?”  
  
The man looked over at her and smirked, his white eyes looking between them oddly for a moment. “You still introduce yourself with your human name. How interesting.”  
  
“It’s my name. Nothing is going to change that.”  
  
The man yanked one of the arrows from himself, smile widening a moment before the clouds thickened.  
  
“Let’s try this again, shall we?”  
  
“Damn it!” Gilgamesh yanked her close again, cursing as the clouds thickened around them again.  
  
“Gil, we need to stay together,” Hakuno hissed.  
  
“Here.” The man ripped the gates of Babylon open with his bow, yanking out a chain. “We’ll use Enkidu’s chains. The gods themselves can’t separate us then.”  
  
She tied them together and focused on the world around them again.  
  
“How curious that you serve him when he is your servant,” the man’s voice called through the fog around them. “Do you do it out of affection, I wonder? Or has he beaten you into submission?”  
  
“Come out, coward!” Gilgamesh loaded his bow again.  
  
“It is true that I cannot separate you with the chains attached, but there are other things that I could do.”  
  
The ground was moving beneath them. Hakuno felt her throat grow tight as she looked down.  
  
“GIL!”  
  
“Fuck,” Gilgamesh wrapped an arm around her tight and held his bow close. “This is An. We’ve successfully declared war on An.”  
  
“An… Like, the god Enlil mentioned?”  
  
“God of the skies.”  
  
And now they were going higher into the skies.  
  
“Gil, I’m going to be honest with you.” Hakuno looked over her shoulder at the boy. “I really, really hate gods right now.”  
  
Gravity set in the moment those words were out.


	14. Chapter 14

The world was falling around them; Hakuno’s grip tightening on the young king as they fell towards the earth. Her eyes closed. Her thinking revolving around something- anything they could do to keep from being harmed from this fall. There was water below, but if they hit the shallow ends.  
  
A roar echoed in the air, making her heart sing.  
  
Her eyes opened as something broke through the fog. Antlers were atop their head, with great splotches of blue-green across their body. More of a beast than anything, it opened its head, roaring to the heavens. Atop it, she could see a dark figure, their red lance spinning a moment before they threw the thing into the fog.  
  
“Enkidu!”  
  
Hakuno felt her body ripped from Proto’s arms, engulfed in the loving arms of her servant. Her face pressed against the being in relief. Meanwhile, Cuserker had Proto held, tossing the young king over his shoulder.  
  
They landed, safely, amongst the edge of the river.  
  
Hakuno flopped against the being, grinning a little as she looked up at the faceless head. “I am so glad to see you, Enkidu.  
  
Slowly, with a lot of noise and uncomfortable movements, the beast changed, forming limbs and a smaller body. The extra clay seemed to disappear in a cloud of dust in the air. Soon enough, she was leaning against a white robed Enkidu. Their arms were around her body, hugging her close.  
  
“I am so glad to see you, Hakuno.”  
  
The fog was disappearing around them quickly. Hakuno looked over to where the god had been before and found Cuserker’s lance sticking out of the ground.  
  
“They vanished.”  
  
“So it would seem,” Enkidu replied. Their lifeless eyes went to the demented one’s of Berserker. “Do you sense them?”  
  
“You’re far better at that shit.”  
  
“I don’t sense anything anymore. They were divine though.”  
  
“Won’t be if they get close again.”  
  
“Put me down this instant!”  
  
Cu looked over his shoulder, curling his lip as he glanced at the boy. He shifted that look to her. “As someone that deals with Proto Cu, I advise homicide.”  
  
“You’re spending too much time with Nightingale.” Hakuno motioned at him. “Please put Prince Charming down.”  
  
“Prince Charming?” Both men snorted at the name, but the boy was returned to his feet.  
  
“I am far superior to my other selves,” Proto declared. “Naturally, my goddess has found another name for me.”  
  
“She found something for you.” Cu glanced over his shoulder. “Ah, there’s that idiot.”  
  
“Be kind, he’s overworked,” Enkidu chastised as a figure ran in their direction. It was too much to stay still. She didn’t want to wait a moment longer. Her feet were moving before her mind was registering anything more than who that was. She sprinted passed Proto and Berserker. She sprinted across the hard ground and straight towards the sweating and agitated mage king.  
  
He stopped as he saw her coming, sighing a little before he was bending slightly. His arms wrapped around her, face pressing to hers as he kissed her.  
  
“Gods, dear gods.” He kissed her again. And again. He must have been exhausted, since he was kissing in an odd, clumsy kind of manner. It was weird for him, but still. It was just so damn nice to see him.  
  
“I missed you.”  
  
“I do not want to let you out of my sight for a moment.” Caster grinned as he pulled back slightly. “Do you realize how fast those two run when they can see you fighting?”  
  
Surprising that they could see any fighting with all the damn fog.  
  
“They arrived just in time to help us.” Hakuno grinned at him. “What’s been going on in Uruk? Is everyone else okay?”  
  
“Everyone else? The others are all waiting in Uruk. I entrusted Archer to look over things while I wandered out with our friends Enkidu and Lancer.” Caster glanced back towards the city.  
  
"You mean Berserker?" Hakuno laughed a little. "You must be exhausted from running here. You're mixing up the Cu Chulainns." She hugged him as he nodded.  
  
"I must be. You're right. I'll make sure to take a couple days to rest." He laughed a little and Hakuno shook her head. The man must be out of it. How out of character of him.  
  
Still, the problems must have just been happening for her and Prototype. Whatever it was, she was done with it now. Enkidu, Berserker, and Caster were here now. Between the five of them, there wasn’t a single opportunity for anyone to get the drop on them.  
  
“Proto and I ran into a couple gods, but they’re gone.”  
  
“Gods?” Caster frowned at her. “What were the gods like?”  
  
“There was Enlil who wanted some wine and An who wanted… I don’t actually know what he wanted. He just disappeared.”  
  
“Strange.”  
  
That was her thoughts on the matter. She went to sleep after drinking too much and then had gods and goddesses aplenty. Between Ishtar’s plan to make her clean, Enlil’s plan to piss her off, and An’s plan to straight up fight her- she had enjoyed enough. It was time to go home.  
  
Hakuno nodded. Her eyes drifted back to the others. “We should get back to Proto and the others.”  
  
“Don’t worry about them.”  
  
“Hmm?”  
  
Caster shook his head. “Why don’t we head back to the palace? Proto can come along with Enkidu and Berserker.”  
  
“Do you think that’s wise? Enkidu and Proto didn’t have much time with one another before. Proto doesn’t really know him that well.”  
  
Proto had been a little standoffish about the being in general. Despite knowing a little bit about the being, she could see their time together being more of a problem than anything. Cu wouldn’t be the best support and mediator if they started to argue either. The alter loved nothing more than the sound of screaming and the sight of violence.  
  
“They can become acquainted better then.” The man smiled at her. “I want to keep you close.”  
  
Hoard her was more like it.  
  
Hakuno shook her head. Naturally, Gilgamesh being the way that he was, he wouldn’t listen to reason on this. Despite how much of a relaxed king he could be, sometimes that Archer type personality shone through. She at least waved at the others to come on, allowing the king to continue to hold her in his arms. She’d let them know that Caster was fine and that they needed to get back to Uruk.  
  
“I have to say, I’m so glad you came when you did.” Hakuno grinned up at the king. “I was starting to get a bad headache from all those gods coming along and from the liquor I had.”  
  
“We’ll get back soon enough.”  
  
“I’m glad.”  
  
Wait.  
  
Hakuno stared up at the mage king as he headed towards the palace.  
  
There was something not right about that.  
  
There was actually a lot wrong with this, now that she was thinking more carefully. Aside from the comments and the random forgetfulness, those words just...  
  
Caster was the one servant who immediately latched on to any complaints about headaches. He loved to go on about headaches. Any opportunity to discuss stresses and problems, he always took it. What’s more, he was traveling with Enkidu and Berserker, two servants that often drove him mad when they were together. While seeing the clay being and the alter together wasn’t odd, seeing Caster calm and not complaining over the task of babysitting them was not normal.  
  
And liquor?  
  
Caster hated when she drank. He hated it more than he hated Archer’s late night gaming sessions with Ozymandias and Iskander. The mage king took great pains to keep her away from the stuff, chastising her if she even mentioned the idea of having a glass of wine. He swapped her drinks for water when he got the chance. There were times when he enjoyed allowing her drink, but it was mostly Uruk ceremonies or other celebrations. He always wanted to initiate the drinking. He always wanted to equate it with something important.  
  
For him to hear she drank and not bat an eye…  
  
“Caster,” Hakuno leaned up a little, looking at the man more closely.  
  
He still had the flawless complexion… but it was too flawless.  
  
“What’s the matter, my moon?”  
  
That was a Proto line.  
  
Hakuno shook her head. “I think I dropped something. Can you let me down a moment?”  
  
“I suppose, but we should be hurrying back. Archer and the others are waiting.”  
  
“I know, I know.” Hakuno leaned over, looking over the ground more carefully. She could see out of the corner of her eyes the king’s shoulders. The purple tattoos were missing. Shit, this wasn’t Gil at all. Which meant that she had just dumped Proto with two servants that weren’t Enkidu and Alter…  
  
Or they were and she was the only one in danger.  
  
“My m-“  
  
She opened the gates, letting them pour out as she bolted. There was little choice. Ahead of her, she could see the three chatting with one another, paying no attention to her.  
  
“PRINCE CHARMING!”  
  
Proto’s attention switched to her immediately. He booked it, running to her as fast as he could. The fog set in again and Hakuno cursed, finding herself stuck in the mess.  
  
“AN!” Hakuno looked around, holding her hands at the ready. “An, I know you’re there! That was a cruel trick!”  
  
Silence greeted her.  
  
“AN!”  
  
She could feel the earth rumble under her feet a moment, but it was impossible to do anything than fight to remain standing.  
  
She would be ready. Whatever happened, she would be prepared for whatever was going to come from the fog and try to get her.  
  
Still, there was nothing but the billowing clouds around her. She could feel her hand aching, her chest hurting for some reason.  
  
“Prince Charming!” She shouted the name again, but there was nothing.  
  
Her eyes drifted to where she could hear a faint sound and she followed the noise, letting it be her guide in the nothingness. Her feet met water and she glanced down.  
  
It wasn’t normal looking water.  
  
Her hands moved to touch it lightly, noting the strange aqua color. It looked more like the waters she had seen when she had gone to Rome with Nero. Or maybe more like the fountains in Chaldea that Gudako had needed to pour chemicals into in order to keep them from growing mold or whatever it was that Jekyll and Hyde had wanted in the waters.  
  
It was looking at the water that she saw the fog starting to roll back.  
  
The sounds of babbling came from nearby. There was a selection of rocks nearby that the water was flowing over. A larger body of water was leading to where she was, to where the little stream was. Her eyes drifted over the land beyond it. Lush green hills met her gaze.  
  
The fog was rolling back, showing a grassland of an area. Crops swayed lightly in the wind.  
  
She was lost again.  
  
Bemused, she looked around again at the area and sighed.  
  
The ziggurat was gone. Proto was gone. Her hand hurt and her head hurt with the start of one hell of a headache.  
  
All that was around were trees and plants and small houses here and there that dotted the lands.  
  
“Child.”  
  
Hakuno looked up, staring up at a strange masked figure.  
  
Their feet dangled from the branch they sat on. Their robes were wet, clinging to their person.  
  
“You should not stand in the water. It is used for my creations.”  
  
Hakuno backed out of the water, keeping her eyes trained on the figure.  
  
“…Who are you?”  
  
“Do you care?”  
  
No.  
  
In the end, she didn’t. That probably made her as arrogant and rude as Archer could be at times, but at this point in time, the palace and bed was her priority. Anything else was mediocre at best.  
  
“Where’s Proto?”  
  
The dark mask was starting to make her skin crawl. She couldn’t see any eyes in the dark sockets of the mask. The mouth hole was round as well, leaving the mask with a surprised look to it. The figure tilted their head slightly as they looked down at her. Or probably did.  
  
“Proto was my companion. We were walking to Uruk and ran into three imposters.”  
  
“How did you know they were imposters?”  
  
She didn’t have time for this. “I’m sorry. If you don’t know, then it’s okay. I will go look for him myself.”  
  
Turning, Hakuno stumbled backwards, finding the figure had moved somehow from the tree to in front of her. The figure tilted their head again, leaning forward as she found her butt now hurting as well.  
  
“How did you know that the three were imposters?”  
  
“…Caster doesn’t call me his moon. Caster calls me beautiful or his release or just Hakuno.” Probably more information than the figure needed, but that was okay. There were other hints as well. Caster’s face was beautiful and looked like the imposters, but there were slight imperfections, signs that he had pores and the start of facial hair growing. Only Enkidu lacked that.  
“I see.” The figure moved to sit beside her, nodding to themselves. “How interesting. You believed him otherwise. You kissed him after all.”  
  
She didn’t want to think about that.  
  
“I need to find Proto,” Hakuno told the figure.  
  
“To what end?”  
  
“What do you mean, to what end?” Hakuno frowned. “Proto and I-“  
  
“You have the mage king, the Archer king, your Proto, and then the young boy king.” The figure held up their four fingers. “What use is having so many of them, child? Can you not decide on one? I recommend the Caster, personally.” The figure snapped his fingers, a clay beast crawling forth from the water and lying beside him. Their shape slowly changed, forming the slumbering form of the mage king.  
  
“Please don’t make things in his image.”  
  
“Don’t like it? Let me try again.”  
  
The figure snapped their fingers again and Caster’s clothes changed. The mellow expression was gone, replaced with Archer’s signature smirk.  
  
“Hakuno… Let's ignore the others and go home.”  
  
“Please stop.” The last thing she needed to do was deal with a fake Archer.  
  
Once more, the figure snapped their fingers and the clay broke apart, returning to the earth. “Is there something wrong with clay beings, little one?”  
  
“No, there’s not. Enkidu is a wonderful clay being, but you can’t just replace everyone with clay beings. Is Caster and the others okay?”  
  
“They are in and around Uruk, Ninkasi. When I was visiting Ninsun, there was talk from the Archer king about building a temple for you.”  
  
“A temple?”  
  
Geez, she was going to have to go back to Uruk only to see some gaudy temple set up for temple maidens to hide away in and have sex.  
  
Wonderful.  
  
Hakuno laid back, already imagining what would come next.  
  
“You are not pleased by this news?”  
  
“Archer overreacts at times. I love him, but that’s just going too far. I didn’t ask to become divine.”  
  
“Enkidu will keep him contained. He won’t go too far.”  
  
“Enkidu? I’d hate to break it to you, but Enkidu is a bit of an enabler at times. I swear, they would let Gilgamesh get away with destroying the world if Gil came up with a good enough game to play afterwards.”  
  
“Wouldn’t you?”  
  
Probably. “That’s… Anyway, I don’t mind that he’s doing that. It’s probably good since gods and goddesses are supposed to have temples, I think.” She wasn’t quite sure about that. “But it would be great if he were a little more concerned about other things.”  
  
“Like where you are?”  
  
“That would be a smart question to ask, don’t you think?”  
  
The figure shrugged.  
  
“It’ll be fine. I’ll make him give the temple to one of the other gods when I get back.”  
  
“Why?”  
  
Why was she talking to this being? Her eyes drifted over the figure, still finding herself drawing back at the sight of the mask on their face. “What need do I have for a temple? I don’t need worshipped or anything like that. I just-“  
  
She wanted to get back to how things had been before. Maybe with a little bit more adventure here and there.  
  
“You just?” The figure moved closer, those dark holes where their eyes should have been looked hollow even up close.  
  
The shudder that ran through her was unavoidable.  
  
“Can you please take the mask off?”  
  
“Does it disturb you?”  
  
“It’s… disconcerting.”  
  
The figure nodded, moving their hands to the mask. The clasps that held the mask to their face was slowly pulled free. The clicks came a moment before they pulled the thing from their face.  
  
Half the face was flawless, made up of the same blue-green splotches that were on Enkidu’s true body. In other parts of their face, slightly tanned skin was slightly wrinkled.  
  
His eyes were sunken, gleaming in their dark brown color.  
  
“This is not much better,” the man told her.  
  
“What happened?” Hakuno ran a hand over their face, touching the clay cheeks and jawline. The upper part of their face was okay, darkened in places but still there.  
  
“It is rude to ask such questions, you know.”  
  
“It’s a handsome face, to be sure-“  
  
“Do not lie to me.” His hands gripped hers tightly, hands also made of clay. She had no doubt if she looked more at the man, he would be partially clay and partially human. Whatever had happened, it had been bad.  
  
Irreversibly bad.  
  
“There’s nothing wrong with it,” Hakuno told him, eyeing them carefully. “I spend a lot of time with Enkidu in their regular form. They seem to enjoy being in the form of the temple maiden that humanized them, but sometimes they just need to return to being the clay beast they were before and I don’t mind. The coloring of the clay and everything is pretty. It’s like a mosaic of sorts.”  
  
“Enkidu was made after me,” they murmured, lowering their gaze. “Things were perfected, as An and the others wished for. Nanna and the others were insistent on perfection. If the gods were to build humility and temper the rising king of Uruk, they needed a being that could stand side by side with him. It was also an effective way to temper Ninsun as well, since her pride is often greater than necessary.”  
  
“So you were made by the same god as Enkidu?”  
  
The man laughed. “You could say that. They are your father, you know. Since you have taken the role of Ninkasi.”  
  
“I have heard about that.”  
  
The figure moved to lean back a little. “It is interesting, you know. The moment that his daughter died, the god Enki did not feel a thing. As with his other children, he was an atrocity. Banished and unloved in ways for becoming the way that he had become. They find the clay grotesque. Working with such things is unseemly. Ninkasi herself was originally very vain. I blame working alongside Ishtar.”  
  
They knew a lot about the gods. Most likely they were a servant or something for Enki? It would explain the clay and the knowledge about the god. No doubt, they probably felt some kind of kinship to the god.  
  
Hakuno nodded, wrapping her arms around her legs. “This is a lovely story, but I really need to return to Uruk and to Proto.”  
  
“I will help you.”  
  
Thank goodness.  
  
Hakuno moved to stand up, looking around before she offered her hand to the figure. “Shall we go?”  
  
The figure moved strangely to their feet, legs cracking a little as they moved. Their neck cracked as they tilted their head from side to side a little. “I suppose we can. Do you mind if I keep the mask off a bit longer?”  
  
“You don’t have to wear it around me. You have a handsome face.”  
  
“From someone that spends time with those kings of yours, I do not believe you, but you are kind to utter such nonsense.”  
  
She glanced around again. “…Which way should we go?”  
  
“This way. The land of the gods has many entrances and exits.”  
  
“This is the land of the gods?”  
  
The man laughed, a strange whistling kind of laugh, like his throat was full of holes. Hakuno found herself looking more closely at the area.  
  
“Somehow I imagined the gods with more… You know…”  
  
“Gold? Extravagance?” The figure laughed. “Do not worry. These are the outskirts. Lesser gods tread here. Nanna and the others are further in the mist in the distance, enjoying their luxuries.”  
  
“So you’re a lesser god?”  
  
What a relief. Lesser gods would be much easier to handle.  
  
“Eh, I am…” The figure laughed again, fiddling with their mask. “Well, I am Enki, god of creation and mischief. I forged the weapons that your kings hold so dear. The weapon Enki, from which you were born. The weapon Ea, from which your victories were forged.”  
  
Hakuno stared at him.  
  
“It is surprising indeed. Once divinity was set in and I was informed of my new daughter, I had new eyes created. Are they not interesting?” They motioned at their face. “My old set was long overdue for a change. I suppose I should inform you that it is a pleasure to meet you at last, my daughter.”  
  
…Shit.


	15. Chapter 15

“Mother.”  
  
Ninsun looked over at him as he leaned against the doorway, pulling away from the gods she had so erroneously invited into the ziggurat. “What is it?”  
  
“It is the third day. Where is my woman?”  
  
“Ah- She will arrive soon.” Ninsun smiled at him. “Don’t worry about a thing, Gilgamesh. I have no doubt that she will be back in your arms in plenty of time.”  
  
His eyes drifted to the other two though, frowning. “…What is that?”  
  
“They’re drinking from their reserves,” Ninsun stated, setting her glass of wine aside. “Naturally, they invited me to join them.”  
  
Of course they had. His eyes drifted over the two, watching them squirm uncomfortably. Their eyes were avoiding the opportunity to lock with his own. Their hands were folded, feet aimed away. As he moved into the room, he could see the subtle shift. Their bodies both moved closer to Ninsun, their eyes looking towards his feet.  
  
Pathetic.  
  
“An. Enlil.” Archer lifted his chin at the three in his sitting area. “It would be unfortunate if you both had seen my Hakuno-Ninkasi and refrained from bringing her to my side.”  
  
“They would never,” Ninsun argued.  
  
“Silence.”  
  
She bit her lip, but her eyes were gleaming as she fought the upturn of her mouth.  
  
“As I was saying,” Archer adjusted his necklaces a bit, watching the two gods carefully. “I know for a fact, from communicating with the bitch goddess herself, that my Hakuno is not with her right now. Which means she would have made it back yesterday… Unless matters out of her control made it impossible. Naturally, my mind can only turn to one god in regards to the fate of one’s journey.”  
  
Enlil paled.  
  
“And then, from reports I received this morning, there was a considerable amount of cloud accumulation that occurred just on the other side of the Euphrates. My men and Caster’s group went to look, but they simply found a great deal of holes in the ground from arrows and burnt earth. Naturally, my mind would not go so far as to doubt association of such a thing with someone sporting burns on their hands.”  
  
An leaned behind Enlil, covering his hands more carefully.  
  
“Where is my women, mongrels?”  
  
“I simply went to greet her,” Enlil confessed, moving to his knees before him. “I was curious as to her sense of vanity and inner strength. I took the time to question that, but she impressed me. Immensely, you can imagine. I call her plain and poke at her relationship, but she simply praised your image and ignored my bait. She gifted me with this wine we partake in and I have found it to be the sweetest of wines to flow forth from the goddess of bliss.”  
  
Archer turned his gaze to the other.  
  
“She and your young self were together. Wandering back towards the palace.” An glared at his hands. “I admit, I did come intending for a fight. It is only natural that someone of great strength encountering a new power would want to test it.”  
  
He was right, it was understandable. He would have done the same, but that still pissed him off.  
  
“Where is she?”  
  
“Enki took her.” An’s eyes drifted to his. “Your duo was fighting me off quite well when the creator came along and shot at me with their clay beings. I watched the two be separated and watched Ninkasi be taken. She is most likely with Enki now, although I fear his intentions. He has been burning away the minutes in his smithy since she was created. We found his eyes floating downstream.”  
  
Enki was altering himself again?  
  
It was not the first time that the god of creation and mischief had altered himself. Being something of a trickster and powerhouse in his own right, the god took great pleasure in altering himself. It hadn’t helped that he had heard of a fight between them and the other gods.  
  
They had gifted him Ea and Enki, the weapons. The gods had not been pleased with such news.  
  
“Where is my younger self?”  
  
“He rests in the other room,” Ninsun motioned towards the door.  
  
Absolutely useless then. Archer looked over the divine beings before him and found himself scoffing, turning away. “I have no use for any of you then. If you cannot bring me the one thing you have stolen away, then I will simply do so myself.”  
  
“The palace, Gilgamesh. You cannot leave it unattended.”  
  
“Caster is lamenting his ruined budget and disrupted harvest season. He will no doubt be loath to leave the palace.” Those eyes flickered back to the trio. “And I have no doubt that it will be quite entertaining to inform him that divine beings have entered the palace. I have been itching at the opportunity to watch his malice rise.”  
  
“We will find her!” The two gods leaped to their feet. “Tell your caster self-“  
  
“I tell him what is needed. Because I expect the same.” Archer opened the door once more, passing through with a laugh. “I look forward to the funeral arrangements. I find a good wedding is only that much more promising with the sound of the funeral horns announcing an enemy’s death.”  
  
The shouts behind him were lost as he closed the door.  
  
Hakuno was with Enki.  
  
Honestly, he was not particularly surprised by that news. Enki would naturally be curious about what had occurred and wish to meet his new technical offspring. He would want to have time to talk and discuss things. Since he had found her being attacked, he would naturally feel inclined to isolate her somewhere away from the other gods.  
  
“Archer.”  
  
“Caster,” Archer turned his gaze towards the mage king strolling down the hall.  
  
“What has Ninsun declared this time? Is Hakuno here?”  
  
“She is not, but our useless teenaged self is.”  
  
“Prototype is here?” Caster glanced towards the door where they could hear the gods arguing with one another. “That would explain the pain we’re in.”  
  
He was in. Unlike the idiot, he had taken something for the bodily pain. Painkillers were good for numbing that kind or problem.  
  
“We should go about locating-“  
  
“I am going to head out to find her. I have a good idea of where she might be now. It won’t take me long.”  
  
“You’re that sure of yourself?”  
  
“I will have her back in time for the ceremonies this evening.” Archer grinned. “So long as you do not hinder the workers any further than you already have-“  
  
“I did not need or want a temple connected to the ziggurat. I informed you of this before I left. Now I have both Enkidu and Cuserker building our woman a temple and fighting with bricks in the back of the palace. Siduri was hit with one.”  
  
“She’ll recover.”  
  
“She was hit in the head.”  
  
Unfortunate. She most likely had done something though. The two had good aim when throwing snowballs and things.  
  
“Watch the palace and finish preparing things, Caster,” Archer ordered. “I am going to find our woman and bring her home.”  
  
With that, he turned, walking quite proudly away from his Caster self. Yes, he was quite sure about this. He would simply wander into the land of the gods, pick up his woman, perhaps indulge a bit in the atmosphere of the land of the gods, and then return. Hakuno would no doubt be tired of looking at the broken god already. She’d be ready to argue with him.  
  
And he was very much looking forward to arguing with her. Every single bit of that overspending was done with her awestruck and vexed face of hers in mind. She’d hound him about spending too much. She’d hound him about how they needed to save money and use it wisely. She’d demand he cut back on his own treasury so that the people didn’t feel the sting of what he had spent.  
  
Naturally, he had already set orders to fix the budget, but she and Caster didn’t need to know that. They could simply yell at him.  
  
“Archer.”  
  
“You’re still following me?” He looked over at Caster.  
  
“You are heading to my office rather than the front doors. I am looking after what is mine.”  
  
What is his.  
  
He almost wanted to laugh at that. Caster had no idea how to look after what was truly theirs. The kingdom was mostly self-sufficient. They lacked for almost nothing at this point. What little squabbles there were ended up resolving themselves for the most part.  
  
For Hakuno and Uruk, there was a great deal for his Caster self to learn. What he played around doing with Siduri was simple satire. A sham in comparison to true kinghood.  
  
“Hakuno has been taken to the land of the gods,” Archer told him, opening the grand doors to Caster’s office. The Horns of the Bull of Heaven gleamed proudly from behind the desk.  
  
A true king’s triumph in a lesser king’s office.  
  
“She’s what?” Caster held the door as Archer moved into the room, feeling along the wall for the usual hinge. “That wouldn’t be possible without-“  
  
“Enki brought her there. I have no doubt he’s wanting to acquaint himself with his new daughter.” Archer grinned as the wall clicked, pulling forward by the horns so he could see the entrance into the fields. A direct doorway to the land of the gods. Truly priceless in many ways.  
  
Humanity would kill one another for such a path.  
  
They would murder one another for a mere hint of its air, the longevity that the flora within would provide to their limited lives.  
  
“I will assist-“  
  
“One of us must be here.” Archer smirked at him. “Naturally, someone who has been with their master since the very beginning should retrieve her. Hakuno is mine and I will take her back.”  
  
“You have no diplomacy skills-“  
  
“I have enough for this.” Archer pulled at the door, passing through. “Do not abandon your false throne, my duplicate. I would hate for Hakuno’s belief in you to be ruined.”  
  
The insinuation alone about not being a true king would piss him off. It was almost a shame not to watch him begin a tirade about the accusations.  
  
Still, Hakuno required his attentions once again. He would sacrifice this opportunity for her.  
  
Closing the door and glancing at the fields, Gilgamesh found himself almost amused.  
  
Once more, he was in the lands he was not supposed to pass through. Once again, he was breaking the laws and policies that the gods had so eagerly pushed his way.  
  
Once again, he would remind them that he was the law. He was the rules.


	16. Chapter 16

The last time Archer had found himself in the land of the gods, he had traveled over sand and stone, through the twelve leagues of darkness, through darkness and pain so profoundly deep that it had cut to the bone. His body had been hollowed out, his strength hinging on the pure spiteful, selfish wish for immortality. He had hungered, but he had ignored it. He had sought comfort, but abandoned such creature comforts to cross the limits that separated men from gods.  
  
Life had begun to hold no meaning. Life had begun to twist and change.  
  
It was a mockery of what the gods took joy and merriment in.  
  
For Enkidu, he had been willing to cross the lines between mortal and immortal, to seek out what it meant to truly be alive.  
  
Looking around at the land now, it was almost insulting how mundane the place looked.  
  
The fields he had reached in this world were plain, with useless weeds growing forth. The waters nearby were sparkling, beckoning a man to go for a swim, but he remembered well the serpent that grew forth from those waters.  
  
They had captured part of the plant of immortality from him.  
  
Part, but not all, since he had wisely hid away part of the plant in his gates.  
  
Which now the plant had been fed to Hakuno and Hakuno was around here.  
  
His gaze flickered over the small huts that made up the area, to the fields that grow plants and wheat. Taking in the clean air and the warm mist coming over the area, he couldn’t help the nostalgia coming over him.  
  
Stupid as it was, it was there. He wouldn’t deny that he didn’t feel something at stepping foot here.  
  
There wasn’t much time to waste though. If Hakuno was here, he’d get her out.  
  
The gates opened, depositing Ea into his hands. His eyes drifted over the peaceful scenery, determining where would be a good area to decimate. Destruction would bring Hakuno to his arms. He had no doubt in his mind that the gods would cower and fear for their lives at the very hint of him in the air. It wouldn’t take more than a few minutes to retrieve his woman and return to-  
  
“Hakuno!”  
  
“Surely, you jest.” Archer looked behind himself, lip curling a bit as a young blond came barreling through the weeds. Adorned in the fabrics gifted to them from their mother, Prototype was looking around with his blades in hand.  
  
“Hakuno,” he called again, like the insolent child that he was.  
  
“Are you intending to bring gods down upon your head or are you truly looking for Hakuno?”  
  
“You.” Proto glared at him, adjusting his grip on his weapons. “What the hell are you doing here?”  
  
“I am retrieving Uruk’s new patron goddess… and my queen.” Probably. That was something he would need to no doubt have a long and boring discussion with Hakuno about. She’d whine and drag her feet about the entire process, insisting that she was no anything like that and that she wasn’t going to be meaningless to him.  
  
Naïve fool that she was, she’d miss the important meaning behind his words.  
  
“I am rescuing my queen,” Proto growled. “Stay out of my way.”  
  
“Oh, rescuing?” Archer laughed, moving forward. He let Ea churn and spin, intending on nothing of the sort in the way of actions. “Is she that weak then? When I was with her, she was capable of far more action and power. Are you informing me that you’ve weakened her? You want to spend your entire life running after a woman who falls into the clutches of any evil and cruel man who comes within five meters of her?”  
  
“…Hakuno can protect herself. She’s strong, after all.”  
  
“Then why are you rescuing her?”  
  
“I…” Proto glared at him, blades rising a bit. “Don’t mock me!”  
  
“I get why Caster enjoys this now. You’re an idiot.” Truly, he hadn’t realized how easily their words could be twisted before. He would have to choose his words more carefully in the future.  
  
The boy before him spluttered, hissing and stomping like the ingrate that he was. Still, it was insulting to see him that bothered.  
  
It was his face looking up at him. It was his mindset, however undeveloped yet, that was reeling at the idea of his master and woman taken from him. Flowery words and foolish actions aside, he had managed to cut through the darkness and come straight here behind him.  
  
“You wish to save Hakuno,” he inquired, ignoring the half-baked insults escaping the child.  
  
“Of course I do! She is my moon, my woman and-“  
  
“The first thing you need to do is stop with that incessant garbage. Hakuno needs none of that. She is a woman of power, not a woman in need of being wooed. Myself and Caster have already paved the path to her very essence already. Flattery beyond that is unnecessary and insulting.”  
  
“…You’re going to help me?” Proto’s eyes drifted over him, trying futilely to understand him. Such a young and stupid thing, his younger self was. No wonder they had wasted their time with so many filthy women. They’d have probably slept with Ishtar had she come before Enkidu.  
  
He shuddered at the idea.  
  
“It is as I said, I am retrieving Hakuno from Enki. As interesting as it is that the god of creation has taken interest in Hakuno, I cannot allow them to become too acquainted.”  
  
“Enki is the only god half worthwhile,” Proto told him. “I don’t doubt he is treating her well… It’s just-“  
  
“Better to have her beside us than with the gods.”  
  
“Exactly.” Proto smirked. “And there is no other that could possibly suit her person than myself. We balance. Her with her plain features and sweet eyes. Me with-“  
  
“I don’t really care to listen to this.”  
  
“I’m telling you that she suits me!” Once more, those garnet colored eyes were on him again. “Do not interrupt a king!”  
  
“You’re not a king. If anything, you are a prince.”  
  
“Huh… Hakuno calls me that.”  
  
“A prince?” She must have been trying to relegate him to a lesser position in comparison to himself and Caster. A smart move; he would have to reward her later for that.  
  
“Yes, she calls me Prince Charming. It’s quite a nice title for myself. I’m sure she felt it was more appropriate for me to have a title all my own. Something original and unique in all the world.”  
  
He was preening. The smitten idiot.  
  
Prince Charming was almost a mocking title for the kid.  
  
Gods, he needed to find Hakuno.  
  
“Come on, Prototype.” Archer motioned towards the huts. “We’ll knock on one of the creations’ huts to see if one of those clay idiots can direct us to Enki.”  
  
“Why not just level the whole place?”  
  
“And harm Hakuno?” Archer laughed loudly, making the boy tense up.  
  
“It was a reasonable idea. I could level the area away from where the huts are.”  
  
“And knowing the poor luck of mongrels, you would end up leveling something that has value, bringing down the wrath of the gods on a newly created goddess and Uruk. Do you truly think before you pull out your weapons?”  
  
“You have Ea out.”  
  
Ah, the little insect would point that out. Archer sighed impatiently. “It is as a precaution and a warning. While I will refrain from simply barreling my way through the land of the gods, I will not hesitate to destroy everything they love if they test me. I practice good sense. Learn it, Proto.”  
  
The boy looked down at his weapons, scowling a bit before he tucked his weapons beneath his robes. It seemed he was going to behave for now, since he was fixing his robes into place and looking to him. “How do you want to retrieve Hakuno?”  
  
“Are you willing to listen to me? Obey someone other than the hormones that run rampant through your veins like the rivers through Uruk?”  
  
“If you cannot tell concession through the act of my blades, Enki, being put away, then you should not lead.”  
  
Ungrateful shit.  
  
“Very well.” Archer motioned him along, heading towards one of the huts that were closest. He could sense rather than see the boy trying to mimic his walk, moving at a pace beside him that was in time to his gait. Glancing at the kid, he could see the head turn away quickly, a pitiful attempt at a bored expression coming to his features.  
  
Perhaps he would have persuaded mongrels that he was bored and over this situation, but there was no denying the look in his eyes.  
  
“…You talk like that Caster,” Proto told him.  
  
“Caster is good with people. Learn from those around you. Remember to keep your own confidence when you think to admit your humility. Showing weakness allows others to take advantage of you. You’re no better than the deer that presents its legs to the traps of the hunters.”  
  
“…I don’t need stupid lessons and I don’t need your mongrel oriented examples. I have power of my own and I have fought off An and Enlil.”  
  
“Did you? Then why is my woman here?”  
  
“Because… Don’t mock me!” Proto moved to punch him, earning his hand being caught at the last minute.  
  
“Don’t you dare strike a man that is greater strength than you! Do you lack sense? Has mother softened your pretty little head into thinking that deception is acceptable? You know nothing of being a king and you know nothing of fighting. You fight like a mongrel.”  
  
He yanked on the child’s arm, throwing them to the earth. The boy grunted as he looked down at him.  
  
“Learn from me, you pathetic fool. And learn from Caster. Between the two of us, we have ruled an unstoppable powerhouse of a kingdom. We have lain with women and taken the lives of more men than you can dream of. We do not lack in the strength it takes to tame and temper a woman of power to our sides. We do not lack the sense in watching our words and saying what needs to be said and nothing more. If you seek to be who we represent as a whole, then you need to abandon your pathetic quest for being a god and forge a real path.”  
  
“I am not trying to be a god!”  
  
“Oh no?”  
  
He really didn’t have time for this. He needed to seek out Hakuno and affirm their bond to one another. He was still in pain from the separation, his chest and body no doubt aching. It explained also why his proto self was so weak.  
  
Once again, he would have to reward Hakuno. Her painkillers were working wonders for him.  
  
“I would never want to be-“  
  
“Look at you.” Archer crossed his arms, standing over the boy. “You seek even now to cause me to lose my balance. You seek to assert yourself as the dominant one, amongst those that are truly equal to you. You sought to use olden ways to bind someone to you who would willingly stay at your side without fight. You attain through deception and half explanations. There’s no honesty in your body at this time. There’s no capability to rule. You’d rule as you do anything else: What interests you has your attention and all else means nothing. Have you even spoken to Enkidu, the one who loves our Hakuno as we do? Do you know of the people who consider Hakuno their close acquaintance?”  
  
Silence.  
  
Archer scoffed. “You don’t know a damn thing about Hakuno because you don’t ask. You see her plain features and hear her soft words and you melt. You’re smitten to the point of self-destruction. Do not become obsessive about those that close to you. Space works as well as closeness.”  
  
Obsessive affection was a destructive force that sent beings like them through darkness and idiocy. Mourning time that could be better spent elsewhere.  
  
“I don’t like you,” Proto hissed.  
“Your feelings are entirely mutual,” Archer replied, moving to the door of the hut nearby and knocking loudly.  
  
“There is nothing wrong with coveting what is yours, as long as you do it well.” Proto growled. “You’ll see. What is mine is mine. I will not share.”  
  
“You’re too stupid to breathe, Proto.”  
  
The door opened slowly, the clay figure morphing a little before Hakuno’s face looked out at them.  
  
“Hakuno!” Proto moved forward immediately, wrapping his arms around the woman. “There you are. Thank the gods. I will take you home this inst-“  
  
Archer yanked him back, looking the clay being over before he scoffed. “Your nose is off. Hakuno’s nose is not hooked in that manner. She has a nose that suits her plain features. You make it look as though she has been struck in the face.”  
  
The clay being morphed, skin color turning to the color of the clay.  
  
“What is it you seek, King of Uruk and King of Uruk?”  
  
Proto gaped at the clay being, making him hold the stupid boy closer to himself. Lest he do something particularly stupid.  
  
“I am here to bring my woman home. Where is Enki and Ninkasi?”  
  
“They are in Enki’s home. He is weaving tales of your adventures to her as they partake in some bread and tea.”  
  
Tea, when the woman was the goddess of liquor. Ridiculous.  
  
“Take us to them.”  
  
“Enki has forbidden us from interrupting their time.”  
  
Of course he had. That meant he would have to traverse through the huts to reach Hakuno’s side. Naturally, the gods were testing him even now. They would enjoy immensely the rewards they would find for doing this to him. The temples in Uruk could be altered. Downsizing for a greater temple was fine by his standards.  
  
“We’ll leave then.”  
  
“You cannot interrupt father’s time with his child.” The clay being moved forward, but thankfully for them did not touch him.  
  
“We are going to retrieve our woman,” Proto hissed, glaring at the being. “Do not interrupt us!”  
  
“Better,” Archer told the boy. “More annoyance next time.”  
  
Those eyes locked with his a moment, Proto nodding as the clay being shook their head.  
  
“You cannot interrupt father’s time with his child.”  
  
The other huts had the clay beings coming forth from behind the front doors. Their lifeless eyes looked their way. Their hands held sticks and logs in their hands.  
  
Archer looked down at the being before them and saw the metal rod they were grabbing.  
  
“You seek to fight us?”  
  
“You cannot interrupt father’s time with his child. We are not to interrupt father’s time with his child.” The clay being was on a record with that loop of dialogue.  
  
“Truly, Enkidu was the only worthwhile being that Enki ever made,” Gilgamesh informed them all, letting Ea spin again. His eyes drifted down to Proto, “Care to join me in the destruction of the land of the gods, younger self?”  
  
“With pleasure,” Proto replied, smirking boldly as his swords clicked into a bow. “I’ve got the beings climbing from the waters if you have the pathetic huts these mongrels are hiding in.”  
  
“Enki’s home is leagues from this area. There won’t be any need to hold back,” Archer told him.  
  
“Perfect.”


	17. Chapter 17

The earth burned around them as they stood back to back. The gates were opening before him as Archer raised Ea and waylaid the land. Behind him, Proto shot arrows at a breakneck pace. The clay beings crashed against the earth, unable to withstand the divine arrows.  
  
Swords crashed to the earth.  
  
Arrows embedded themselves in the breasts of the mud beings.  
  
There was little doubt what kind of battle this was. There was no mercy, no patience. They didn’t show the beings anything but the brutal power that could only be displayed by the ultimate of beings: Royalty.  
  
There was no need for hesitation with being something of a ruler. There was no option to wait and talk things out. A king needed to understand when it was time to raise their weapons. They needed to be able to draw a line in the sand and say this, this right here is where I stand and how far I will go.  
  
And this, with the god playing house with his woman, was where he drew the line.  
  
Proto’s bow moved before his face, shooting a being as it was launching itself towards him. There were two arrows shot, moving apart from the inaccuracy of a singular arrow, landing in the being’s eyes and making it screech aloud as it landed before him.  
  
“Your mind is occupied,” Proto growled.  
  
“I see no need to prove my feats. I grow tired of this,” Archer replied, letting a couple swords land in the bodies of four trying to jump Proto as his back was turned.  
  
The boy looked behind himself, grimacing. “…I grow weary of this as well. Shall we use Ea?”  
  
“Utilize Enki. I will use Ea once again.”  
  
The weapons glowed together, building up power as they both looked before themselves. With his own self at his back, Archer tapped into that energy binding himself to Hakuno. He could sense her in the distance, sense her power waiting for his use.  
  
Ea glowed with new light, spinning rapidly as the wind kicked up around them. The power that Proto built behind him felt weak in comparison. The boy was too young. He didn’t understand how to create this energy, how to create a power this great.  
  
Even though he was a king, he could not act as powerfully as he himself could.  
  
The world burst into light, heat and energy blowing forth from the end of the weapon. The light of creation, the power of the cosmos. The energy and strength that the Moon Cell had spent so much time trying to build, it all burst forth from Ea, sending the world into nothingness in the presence of such radiance.  
  
The gods would take note of it. There was little doubt in his mind of such.  
  
Proto fell, unable to handle the blowback from such a weapon behind his back. A novice for sure, but he would learn.  
  
Given the mood that Gilgamesh felt at the moment, he supposed he could mentor the boy. The boy required a steady hand. A stern upbringing. But he was moldable.  
  
Glancing down at the boy, he could see the gleam in the boy’s eyes, the desire that lay there.  
  
Archer had no doubt in his mind that he knew what that look meant. Proto wanted to know how to get to this point. He wanted to know how to build his power, how to mold himself into being able to use these useless emotions that bound himself and Hakuno to this end. He wanted to be the one that stood here, holding Ea in his hand and casting the gods into the abyss of nothingness merely for the mere fact that they had spent time with what was theirs.  
  
He wanted power. He wanted love.  
  
The boy yearned for glory like the fool that he was, inexperienced in the ways of death and mortality. He saw himself as immortal, untouchable.  
  
Archer smirked at him, turning his gaze away and turning Ea’s aim, destroying all sides of them. The power blew straight through the creations, the false idols of an ancient god. The world bowed before him and he took pleasure in it. The land of the gods belonged to him, just as the world of Uruk did.  
  
The world was cast into silence as the power subsided. Archer lowered his weapon, offering a hand to his younger self.  
  
“…How did you do that?”  
  
“Ea.”  
  
Proto looked around them, at the death and devastation that lay on all sides. He took in the earth that lay bare and the space where trees had once stood. Everything had been decimated in his outrage and might. As it should be, he thought.  
  
“Is there a reason you are not taking my hand when it is offered, boy?”  
  
“I need you to train me,” Proto declared, moving to stand up with his help. His hand was trembling as Archer pulled him to his feet.  
  
“Training requires respect, something you have not shown me.”  
  
“Respect requires trust, something you did not show me.”  
  
Trust.  
  
Archer snorted at the very thought, turning his gaze to the distance. “We have a bit to travel now. Hakuno will be at Enki’s home.”  
  
“Should they know we’re coming?”  
  
“They will have sensed it. I’m sure you felt Hakuno’s input in that attack just now.” Archer looked over at him. “She allowed the power to come forth though. She will be waiting to leave when we arrive.”  
  
Proto just stared at him still, no doubt enamored with the success that he saw within his older self. A child will always find a way to idolize those with more strength and capability. Seeing himself in the future, it was no doubt a true method of encouragement. No doubt, he took pride in seeing himself in a new light. A long overdue light as well, Archer thought as he moved over the scorched earth. He allowed Ea to return to the gates, feeling his younger self hurrying along behind him.  
  
“How did you learn to use Hakuno’s power and your own together like that?”  
  
“Hakuno and I share our bodies and power. There is nothing that the two of us hold back from one another… or rather, she does not hold back from me. She knows better than to keep any negative opinions in regards to me. Caster and our child self are another matter.”  
  
The boy nodded, once more falling into sync with him as they walked. Proto’s blades went to his sides once more.  
  
“You are becoming skilled in your true archery, are you not?”  
  
“I am. I can sense some of Hakuno’s power flowing through me at times, but I cannot sequester it to my weapons and use it in the way that you do. With that kind of power, Enki would be unstoppable. I would have destroyed our enemies just now without having to even move.”  
  
He doubted that, but he would let it slide. Children always held such confidence in their own abilities. Foolishly so.  
  
“I will learn through your training,” Proto declared, squaring his shoulders and marching on. “Be prepared after my wedding Hakuno to inform me on such practices.”  
  
“It has already been decided that I will be the one performing the wedding and ceremonies with Hakuno, boy. Do not think that you may stand in my stead.”  
  
“You think you can?”  
  
“Caster and I have discussed this matter in great length.” Caster had been pinned in his damn office chair. “I will go through with the ceremonies since Hakuno had me first. She has the longest and most intimate of relationships with me. Our other selves and you are all newer to her, in various stages of a relationship with her. You all lack the immediate and unspoken bond that binds me to her.”  
  
“I got us into this,” Proto hissed. He held up his hand, showing the same mark that was on all of their hands. “It was me who got her to agree to being divine in the first place!”  
  
“And she was quick to retreat from the meaning behind it, wasn’t she? She came to my arms, welcoming me back to her body after you performed the ceremony. It was I who earned her affections again and eased that woman back into being at our side and being accepting of this relationship status change.”  
  
“She kissed me. She let me drink her honeyed wines and asked of me and what I want. She lives to be selfish and encourage me to be the same.”  
  
“There is no need for her to do that with me, boy.” Archer laughed, shaking his head. “Hakuno learned pleasure from me. She learned of honeyed wines and fine taste from me. If she allows you to be selfish, it is only through the knowledge that your selfish desires will take you closer to being like me. Her honeyed wines are a treasure of their own, but she has drunk from me in the same depths. She took her pleasure from me and saw to my own pleasure and needs. The woman liberally gave me her love and devotion, telling me honeyed words, boy. Do you think your pretty drinks come close to that?”  
  
Proto glared at the ground in front of them. He knew there was truth in those words. As cringeworthy as honeyed words could be, Hakuno’s words to him had revolved within the depths of his mind, tempering him when he would have come for her far sooner. He would always come for her.  
  
It was something she had come to accept from him. She was his mongrel, after all. She was his through and through. Should his day not begin with the rise and fall of her breasts in his view, then his day was not meant to begin. Should his day not end with her body curling up to his, like a flower unfurling for the sunrise, then his day could never end.  
  
“…I must become you in the future,” Proto told him. “I have no choice. Caster would be admirable, but he is weak. He lacks what it takes to be a real king.”  
  
He lacked the firm hand, but not necessarily the entire skillset. Still, he wouldn’t argue the details with the boy.  
  
“Hakuno will be mine in any case.” Proto looked over at him. “You must seduce her heavily for our ceremonies. I will not tolerate you simply calling her a mongrel or treating her as anything less than the moon and stars to our skies. Uruk deserves to have a queen that understands where she stands in terms of her king. Hakuno must understand her place.”  
  
“She knows her place. I have no need for words with her.”  
  
Proto’s face burned as they continued passed the scorched earth now, making it into more fields. Enki’s home wouldn’t be far in the distance.  
  
The silence that came between them was palpable.  
  
“Hakuno… Hakuno deserves more than her body being used in such a way. She is mine and I will have her treated as the goddess that she is. Understand that if she does not feel every bit as overwhelmed and pampered as I want her to feel, then it will be your misery to find me behind your back, forever attempting to steal her from you and my other selves. I will bring her to Uruk and I will adorn her in every fur, jewel, and gold piece that I get my hands on.”  
  
“Do not threaten me, boy.”  
  
“I do not threaten, I make a pledge to the affair. Hakuno will never doubt my intentions.”  
  
But the boy was beyond listening.  
  
Prototype moved ahead of him, seeing the house in the distance. Those eyes gleamed, his pace quickening as he no doubt felt her presence in that home.  
  
“Hakuno!”  
  
He cried out her name to childishly, longing for her as a desert for rain. Each step they made towards her was one more step that the boy could not stand for any longer.  
  
The boy broke into a run, sprinting through the last of the distance. His hand wrapped around the doorknob, tearing open the door. Archer could hear the outrage in the one god’s voice, Hakuno’s sweet tone starting up.  
  
“Prince Charming, what are you doing here?”  
  
Archer closed the distance. Where Prototype held himself off from entering the god of creation’s home, he held no such reservations. He passed through the door, finding his woman sitting upon one of his chaises, legs stretched out before her as she sipped at his tea.  
  
He paid no mind to the god that stood before him, stepping around the useless immortal and climbing onto the chaise.  
  
Hakuno didn’t even hesitate. Her drink was set aside as he came closer. Those brown eyes looked up at him, knowing what was to come and welcoming the experience back again. Her body opened for him, arms reaching up for him as he felt out with his mana for her own.  
  
This was the god of creation’s home. He knew how to mimic even the fairest of people.  
  
Hakuno’s energy flared right back at him though. Those brown eyes stared up at him in the same reserved and calm manner as before. He found her hands holding onto his robes, holding onto him as she felt every bit of his energy.  
  
His lips pressed to her own, hands delving into those brown locks. He could feel her body easing into repose, recognizing and welcoming his dominance.  
  
A body knew its other half, after all.  
  
Damn Proto’s piss poor terminology and sickly sweet words. They were bleeding into his own thinking now.  
  
But Hakuno’s arms were wrapping around him now, pulling him closer as he saw something new entering that gaze of hers. He wasn’t sure what it was, but it made her hands more desperate for him. It made her lips move against his own more. She must have felt something greater from him than usual.  
  
The taste of liquor was faint on her lips, a taste that seemed to only come from her lips. Perhaps nothing more than a result of her newfound position as the goddess who sates the heart.  
  
“Gil,” her voice called out as he pulled back a bit.  
  
There was talking behind them both, but he wasn’t in the mood to deem the mongrels worthy of conversing. He leaned in once more, taking in this new change with his Hakuno. Truly, there wasn’t anything physically different. She was still the same woman whom he had took an interest in on the far side of the Moon Cell. She was still the same stubborn woman that had earned his interests and earned her place beneath him.  
  
But she looked at him more openly…  
  
That was it. Her eyes seemed to have lost a barrier that had been there before, hiding her emotions from him. The bond that the woman had formed with him and his other selves had torn that wall down, effectively removing it forever as they had been separated.  
  
Her hands wrapped around his arms, her weak smile of relief making his damn chest stutter. “I was wondering how long I would end up being apart from you. It’s about damn time, Archer.”  
  
“You seemed to have enjoyed your little venture into a heroic journey,” he replied.  
  
Hakuno just closed those eyes from him, hiding away the raw emotions from his view for a moment as she took in that statement. “I think I’d rather just return to Uruk. I think I’ve had enough of these gods and their games.”  
  
“The gods are worthless. You are long overdue for being back in Uruk anyway.”  
  
“I heard you were abusing Caster’s budget for your own whims,” Hakuno accused of him.  
  
“Abused? His budgets are nothing more than his vanity and boredom coming out in the most mundane of manners, woman. It matters little to me what he believes should be done with his poor accumulation of wealth. I have created something of use with his pathetic budget. You will see soon enough.”  
  
“I’m sure I will,” she agreed.  
  
Her head rested against his chest as he tried to close the distance. Her small stature fit to his side. That brown hair fanned out behind her back, beckoning his hands to touch and feel.  
  
It must have been a venture, he thought to himself as she settled quietly against him. Normally, Hakuno would have whined at him for spending such amounts of Caster’s budget. Normally, but not always.  
  
“How long have you been in pain, Master?”  
  
“Being separated from you all hurt a little, but my head’s been hurting since fighting An. I thought resting with Enki would be a smart move before returning to Uruk. I don’t think the tea is doing much for the pain though.”  
  
“Oi! I am still here!” Enki waved at them as Archer pulled the woman into his arms. “Do not burst into my home and touch my daughter in overly affectionate-“  
  
Archer reached into his robes, wrapping around Hakuno’s headache medicine a moment before he held it out to her.  
  
“How-“  
  
“Your medicine has been preventing me from feeling the effects of separation.”  
  
“You used me as a divining rod to find Hakuno!” Proto glared at him, eyes blazing as Hakuno happily took back her aspirin.  
  
“Thank you, Gil.”  
  
“Oh? Are those words of praise from the newfound goddess of satisfaction and pleasure?” Archer smirked, ignoring the two fools as he focused in on the woman. “And we should discuss this position of yours. A goddess of pleasure. I have never heard anything so amusing. I cannot think of many times you have been able to express pleasure properly.”  
  
“I’m tied to you though,” Hakuno replied, downing a couple pills and sipping at her tea again. “Aren’t you supposed to be the king of pleasure?”  
  
He laughed, letting the sound echo in the building and making the other two men wince in distaste for his mirth. “Are you saying that you wish to remain close to me, Hakuno? Cannot be a goddess of pleasure without your king?”  
  
“I’ve never tried to leave you, Gil. I doubt I would make it far without you with me.” Those brown eyes looked up at him, shining once more with that new look in them from before. The emotions she showed now were so interesting. “I won’t argue if you help me manage my duties. I don’t think I want to be a goddess for Uruk without your help.”  
  
Such a proper response.  
  
“I suppose there’s no choice then,” he replied, closing his eyes and enjoying the moment with every fiber of his being. “I will simply have to steal you from the gods entirely. They cannot have any piece of you to themselves. I am far too selfish for such behavior.”  
  
“Excuse-“  
  
Archer pulled the woman into his arms as Enki began to speak, his lips moving over hers once again. The woman didn’t bat an eye at the behavior, her arms wrapping around his shoulders and welcoming him in.  
  
“THAT IS MY CHILD!” The objects in the room shifted, beginning to morph as Gilgamesh found himself looking over at the masked god.  
  
Truthfully, he had no qualms with the god. Odd and senile as the man could be, he created powerful weapons that he named after himself and he had created Enkidu, a being to which he would refer to as his one and only friend. Crossing the man would give him no pleasure whatsoever.  
  
Which left him with appeasing the god. He opened the Gates and let a fabric flutter down into his arms. Holding it out to the god, he waited patiently.  
  
“Here, great Creator. A bride-price for your Ninkasi.”  
  
“…This fabric is made of the wool of-“  
  
“I am aware of the divine value of it. As am I aware of your place within Uruk’s palace for the ceremonies. Ninsun has been expecting you and will be continuing to wait impatiently for our return to Uruk.”  
  
Enki ran a couple fingers over the fabric, eyeing both himself and Prototype. “You realize the edge this fabric will give to my creations. The other gods would sense the mana properties within the threads of this fine cloth.”  
  
“A price must equal the value of that which is given.”  
  
Enki pulled the cloth into his hands, looking over at Hakuno. “…You have expressed your admiration for the king already, Hakuno… My taking this means nothing more than peace between the king and myself.”  
  
“That’s fine.”  
  
Hakuno’s head rested against his chest as Archer held her. His woman was understanding her place quite well.  
  
“You will still need to visit, with my creation and the king’s right hand.”  
  
“Enkidu and I will gladly visit.”  
  
The hell they would.  
  
Enki wrapped himself in the fabric, nodding. “You have yourself an arrangement, king. My daughter is yours for a queen, but be warned, she is of fire and ice. I have seen pieces of that ire and I know what power lies within. Should you decide to wrong her, it will not be my hand that comes for your life and happiness, but her own.”  
  
“I will treat her properly,” Proto pointed out, stepping forward.  
  
Archer didn’t deign the fools a response, turning away and carrying the woman out of the house.  
  
After all, only a fool wasted their time arguing with mongrels. He had better things to do, important things to do. His people were waiting for him to bring his bride before them. They were waiting to see him welcome Hakuno into his bed and once again drink from the intoxication that was her very being.  
  
“Don’t walk too fast,” Hakuno murmured to him as they headed back towards the edge of this world and the palace. “I don’t want to forget Prince Charming here.”  
  
“We need to talk about that pathetic name for him.”  
  
“I like it.”  
  
The amusement she took in saying that was audacious, amusing if nothing else. He found himself rolling his eyes, giving her a judging look.  
  
“He likes it too. You are the only one who complains about it.” Hakuno narrowed those sweet eyes that stared straight through him. “Could it be that you are upset that he has a silly name?”  
  
“Mongrel, I paid a bride-price for you. You shouldn’t tease me. I can take you back.”  
  
She closed her eyes on him, leaning against him. “I would have helped you fight him if it had needed to come to that. We don’t separate, not for anyone.”  
  
“We don’t.”  
  
Such a waste of a valuable cloth… And she would now visit the god with his Enkidu.  
  
“I like Enki.”  
  
“Oh?”  
  
Hakuno nodded, sighing a little. “Enki is probably the only god I’ve run into that hasn’t given me a headache. The others are a pain in the ass.”  
  
“You’ve spent too much time with the lancer and his duplicates.”  
  
“They are pain in the asses. You’ve complained about them before too.”  
  
“Mostly the bitch goddess,” he replied, feeling Proto and Enki following after them, closing in the distance. “Rest for now against me, Hakuno. I want to feel you against me for a while without your amused nonsense.”  
  
Her hand pressed against his cheek, those eyes taking more of him in. “You didn’t shave.”  
  
“I have been waiting for you.”  
  
“I don’t mind it. It looks different on you though. I was worried for a second that it wasn’t you when you entered.”  
  
“Rest against me,” he reiterated.  
  
Hakuno nodded, her face pressing to his side again. “Thank you, Gil. You always save me in the end.”  
  
The stupid fool…  
  
He always would be saving her in the end.  
  
She belonged to him.


	18. Chapter 18

She wasn’t sure how long it had been that she had been asleep, but the world around her was different when she woke up. No empty room where people had died. No abandoned building or ghosttown. Her feet were wrapped, something she noted as she moved her feet. Looking down, she could see they had been bandaged.  
  
Moving was impossible, since Gilgamesh in all his royal glory was lying at her side. On a nearby seat, she could see Prototype resting with his head leaning all the way back against the back of the chair. A loud snore was coming from him.  
  
It wasn’t a great idea to sleep like that to begin with, but this bed wasn’t very large. She could see that the two Gilgamesh had probably argued and settled things this way.  
  
“Hakuno?”  
  
“Enkidu!” She whispered excitedly to the being, seeing those eyes soften the moment they heard her voice. She looked over her shoulder again to find the king still in deep repose. “Enki, I can’t really come to see you-“  
  
“Say no more. I’ve got him.” Enkidu moved into the room, whispering to someone softly before they crossed the room and lifted Gil’s arms. Hakuno began to slip out from underneath the other’s arms when she saw those red eyes open. Gil looked over at Enkidu, the unending stare making the clay being squirm a bit.  
  
“What are you doing, Enkidu?”  
  
“Helping Hakuno get up.”  
  
“Why?”  
  
“Because I can’t rest in bed all day.” Hakuno replied for the being, leaning over the king to kiss him softly. “Go ahead and get some more rest. I’m just going to-“  
  
“I’ll get up.” Archer yawned, slowly moving into an upright position. He glanced towards his younger self before snorting softly. “What a dumbass.”  
  
“Don’t insult yourself!”  
  
“Don’t like me mocking little Prince Charming?” Archer leaned in closer, “he told me about that nickname. Seems to think it’s cute. I think someone has been leaving out details of why she chose that name.”  
  
There was no need to rise to that bait. She liked her nickname for the teen and she was keeping it. Prince Charming was Prince Charming. She wasn’t going to change it any time soon, not even if Archer complained.  
  
The room around them was different than the usual one though. She frowned at the décor. It wasn’t nearly as grand looking and illustrious as the palace or the usual rooms that Gil had her stay in. In fact, if she had ever had the opportunity, she’d have probably designed this room herself. The colors were still Gil’s typical palace colors, but they were subdued, tamed down to a point where it wasn’t obnoxious. The gold was only noted in the bedframe and the drawers to the dresser and tables nearby. Little notes instead of being grand walls of gold color with bold tapestries displaying battles and triumphs.  
  
Instead of the tapestries, there were sconces and a painting of the Euphrates at dusk. The walls themselves were a deep blue color, almost black from what she could see.  
  
“Where are we?”  
  
“Your temple,” Archer replied in a bored tone. He wiped at his eyes as he looked around and went on, “Ninsun and I had some time without Caster around to begin preparations and I know from my many nights with you that you like more… plain accomodations. Since I have to now share you with Uruk as a goddess, I decided I would humor you. Be grateful.”  
  
Enkidu smacked him as Hakuno looked around again.  
  
“It is plain.”  
  
“I can add to it.”  
  
She didn’t want that.  
  
Archer had made this room entirely for her. Without his own interests getting in the way and his own tastes outshining her own. She could see books on mana lining the shelves of a corner in the room. She could see a phone, most likely able to connect to Chaldea, sitting on the desk near the painting as she looked around more.  
  
The room was amazing.  
  
“Hakuno,” Archer leaned in closer. “…Stop thinking.”  
  
“I like it.” She looked over at him and grinned, unable to stop the bubbling feeling that was coming up. “It’s perfect, Gil.”  
  
Enkidu just groaned as Gilgamesh smirked, his arms wrapping around her waist dangerously. “Of course it’s perfect,” the king murmured. “Do you think that I would neglect your interests? That I don’t have any attention to what you need? To what you want?” His lips pressed against her neck. “I have been with you long enough to know much about you, my Hakuno-Ninkasi, my goddess of wine and plainness.”  
  
“You’re supposed to be keeping hands off until evening,” Enkidu reminded him, leaning in as well. “And I don’t think Caster would approve of this happening right below his chambers.”  
  
Below his-  
  
“You built the temple in the palace?!”  
  
“It’s an addition-“  
  
“GIL!”  
  
Proto stirred nearby, making Archer lift her up without preamble. Enkidu snickered as they followed close behind.  
  
Outside the room, Gudako and Cu Lancer waved next to a strange woman that looked similar to Enkidu. The woman excused herself from them before hurrying over.  
  
“You’re not supposed to be touching her!” The woman chastised. “She’s supposed to be untouched until this evening, your majesty!”  
  
“Don’t bother, Shamhat.” Enkidu shook their head. “I’ve been trying to get Hakuno free for the past few minutes. It won’t work. They’re smitten.”  
  
“She is my woman-“  
  
“Soon.” Shamhat didn’t even hesitate. Hakuno felt herself pulled from the king’s arms and pressed against the beautiful woman’s chest. “As her head temple maiden, it is my responsibility and task to see that my goddess is not treated like baggage or another conquest for a king.”  
  
“You’re my what?”  
  
The woman looked down at her, grinning that very Enkidu-like smile. “I am Shamhat. I will be your head temple maiden from this day forward. Enkidu found me a few hours ago and brought me here. They have found some strange friends, if I must say so myself.” She looked over at Cu again and shook her head.  
  
“Berserker and I have our common interests,” Enkidu replied vaguely.  
  
“Fighting. They enjoy a good fight, as would anyone honestly.” Archer crossed his arms, standing up properly. “Hakuno shouldn’t be away from myself or my duplicates for any length of time. It’s natural that I would keep her close, even if typical ritual declares that we not be close until the ceremony.”  
  
“Ceremony?”  
  
Shamhat interrupted her question. “You can declare what you will, but I’m not going to let you do this incorrectly. Hakuno will remain with me until nightfall and then you will perform the proper rituals and cement what you wish. So long as Hakuno agrees as the goddess that she is.”  
  
“I have no concerns in that regard.”  
  
Enkidu sighed, “Since we have that-“  
  
Archer swooped in, his lips pressing to hers before Hakuno could realize what was going on. Forceful, passionate; the usual getting away with something kind of kiss rocked her senses, earning the king her arms around his shoulders, holding him close as Enkidu groaned and Shamhat whined loudly. She could feel Gilgamesh laughing softly against her lips, feel him welcoming her closer.  
  
All too soon, he pulled back, straightening and wiping at his lips. “The rituals demand to be done just at the edge of day and night. I’ll want her dressed up and prepared properly, Shamhat. You understand what requirements will be necessary.”  
  
“Of course, my king.” The woman bowed.  
  
Gil just smiled that knowing, shit-eating smile of his, turning away to head down the hall. He grabbed Gudako by her jacket and whistled for Cu as he went.  
  
“He’s excited,” Shamhat murmured.  
  
Enkidu nodded, wrapping their arms around the two of them. “Gilgamesh is always excited when he gets things he wants. I imagine he’ll be running off to Ninsun to eagerly tell her about all the plans he has. He probably dreamed about it too, if I had to guess what that kiss was about.”  
  
“What ceremony is he talking about?” Hakuno looked over at the duo, earning a sheepish look from the two.  
  
“It’s a… well, you see, when a goddess decides on a mortal…” Enkidu balked, looking at the temple maiden under their other arm.  
  
“Gilgamesh has decided that you have chosen him as your beloved and intends to make you the patron goddess of Uruk and his Queen.”  
  
“He can’t do that.” Hakuno shook her head. “Uruk never had a queen for Gilgamesh. It would create another singularity.”  
  
“Unless,” Enkidu added in, “Gilgamesh did the marriage and the declaration as a ritual and connection to the gods kind of marriage. History would remember you as a nameless wife, but the gods would have to bow and take you as his queen and wife just as they would have to accept that Gilgamesh is truly divine and of god’s blood and power.”  
  
“So it’s more symbolic than an actual coronation.”  
  
“To the people, yes. For you and him, no. It’s as legitimate as any marriage.” Shamhat looked over at Enkidu. “My clay love, do you mind giving Hakuno and I some time to talk of this? I think some facts have been glossed over in the last few hours and there is little time for resolving cold feet before the ceremony.”  
  
“Please don’t hesitate to call upon me for my sister,” Enkidu murmured, pressing their lips to Shamhat’s boldly. She hummed, stroking the being’s cheek before the being pulled back. “She is the child of Enki, after all. That makes us siblings in a way.”  
  
“And that makes you and Gilgamesh to be brothers as well.” Shamhat smiled so fondly at Enkidu, so differently than anyone else. “I am so proud of what you’ve accomplished, Enkidu.”  
  
“You may be proud as you assist and love my sister as you do me.” Enkidu pressed their forehead to hers before throwing a smile at Hakuno and hurrying down the hall. “I will go see to Gil! Please be early, Shamhat! Hakuno!”  
  
Shamhat chuckled, looking over at her.  
  
“You love Enkidu.”  
  
There wasn’t a question in that. The fact was written over the woman’s face.  
  
“Enkidu was nothing more than a giant clay beast when I found him.” Shamhat fixed her robes a little, looking after the disappearing being. “They had no form and no words to speak with. They ran with wolves and bore the vines and brush of the forest, showing no remorse in the taking of human life to protect those it felt alliances with. I was young… I had never experienced the depths of my devotion to being a temple maiden. To me, being a maiden was just a way I could express myself. With Enkidu though, things were different.”  
  
Those eyes closed as a smiled played on her lips. “Enkidu took me for seven days and nights, learning from my body and making me question what I had practiced amongst the other maidens. I learned to be bold, to do things with myself that made me toss aside my inhibitions. I became one with my mind and my body as Enkidu learned what it truly meant to experience humanity. I cannot say that they became human then, but their love for all made the wolves and the wild realize that Enkidu was meant for more. It made the world of nature push them towards civilization. I taught them to be human.”  
  
Hakuno nodded, smiling despite herself. “I’m glad you’re my head temple maiden then, Shamhat. I can’t think of anyone in the universe who would be as wonderful as you.”  
  
“You hardly know me.” Shamhat grinned, those eyes gleaming.  
  
“If Enkidu loves you and you love them as much as you do, then I know what I need to. Now, what the hell do I do with this ceremony and what exactly am I agreeing to?”  
  
“The ceremony itself won’t take long.” Shamhat motioned her back into her chambers, taking only a moment to move Prototype gently over to the bed to sleep properly. “It’s a ceremony of marriage, but that of the gods and humans. It will be much like his mother and father’s marriage. It must take place just at the edge of day and night, unlike Ninsun’s night to day. This is due to the fact that you want your marriage to remain hidden away. You are being taken as a queen and wife, not descending upon the king and demanding their love. It works opposite to Ninsun’s and demands the gods listen, not the humans.”  
  
“What do I do in particular?”  
  
“You will be dressed in proper attire for a goddess,” Shamhat replied, motioning her to sit and beginning to pull at a rope nearby. She settled into a chair after a moment, fixing her robes again. “At the edge of day and night, you will sit before the ziggurat and face the city. You’ll open the doors to your fine drink and let rivers build forth, flowing freely through the city. Troughs have been built to welcome this liquor through the city of Uruk. When the liquor flows like the Euphrates and Ea rivers, King Gilgamesh will cover your face and pour perfume over you. He will declare you his wife and present you with gifts to prove his devotion.”  
  
She could already see Gilgamesh enjoying that task. She’d be smelling of his cologne for months.  
  
“Once that is done,” Shamhat continued, “you will be required to present your finest liquor to him. You sated the thirst of his people and now must please the king. It must be of a quality that far surpasses anything that he has tasted before.”  
  
Oh no.  
  
“Shamhat, I don’t think-“  
  
“He will accept the drink and decide if it is truly of merit. When he accept it, he has fully welcomed you and you both will go into his chambers to consummate the marriage. We shall not see you for at least a day and I will be bringing food and drink alongside Enkidu for that time, leaving them just inside the door for you both. The sexual prowess that you both will enjoy is not for the eyes of anyone else.”  
  
Her face was burning. Hakuno couldn’t stop it despite her best interests. She covered her face with her hand and shut her eyes.  
  
“Could Gilgamesh Caster or Proto stand in-“  
  
“Neither the mage king or the young king can stand in, for they both lack the knowledge of wines for this task. Their declarations would be like that of a candle declaring itself a roaring inferno. It must be your beloved Archer Gilgamesh. His refined palate and divine status is the only one suitable for this task.”  
  
And he probably had known that, Hakuno thought, when he had decided they would do this. However-  
  
“I don’t know how to make any liquor any better than anything else. I have only been able to make the liquor of the gods.”  
  
Shamhat nodded. “And that is where we must begin our work, Hakuno. While your attentions have been on returning to Uruk, you have been in dire need of improving your work. I heard from the bitch- I mean, I have heard from the great goddess, Ishtar, that you did not train under her careful provision. Ninsun would teach you herself, but she is being forced to remain inactive. Hence her words of love to me, beckoning me to find your friends Gudako and Cu C- I cannot actually pronounce that other fellow and his others’ names.”  
  
“Cu Chulainn. It’s like colon, the body part.”  
  
Shamhat nodded. “Yes, well… I found them and Enkidu and the mage king found me. I have trained the divine before. Hopefully, I can train you as well.”  
  
“How do we begin then?”  
  
Famous last words.  
  
A series of servants soon came along, carrying a variety of bottles and food in to be left on the desk. Hakuno found the bottles filled with a variety of liquors, all of which Shamhat began with having her sample.  
  
Her eyes drifted over all of them, listening to the details of each’s content as Shamhat described them.  
  
“I’m sure King Gilgamesh has described what he looks for when he has a wine,” the woman instructed. “What we’re going to focus on is creating the different tastes that can be created with wine and beer. We’re start with wines, since they are often used for ceremonies and stored over more time than beer. Wine ages nicely, becoming better with time. It will be something symbolic that the people can romanticize.”  
  
They began with delicate wines, wines of the palest of colors. Hakuno found herself instructed to mimic the color and the taste of them, Shamhat tasting them lightly before having her taste the difference. They worked through the lighter colored liquor before Proto was stirring.  
  
“Prince Charming? How are you feeling?”  
  
Proto smiled, watching her and Shamhat sitting at the desk together. He pat the bed lightly. “I feel well enough whenever you’re near, my moonlight. Come lay with me.”  
  
“I am practicing wine making. Go ahead and get more rest without me,” Hakuno replied.  
  
“Hakuno-“  
  
“She must prepare, young highness.” Shamhat shook her head. “We shall utilize your palate later, when we are through with how to mimic the finest of your wine stores.”  
  
Proto sighed, laying back on the bed and looking up at the canopy above himself. “Very well then. I will toil away on the bed and sate myself for now with the sweet cadence of your voices discussing the fineness of my treasures for the soul. Call upon me soon. I bore easily.”  
  
Hakuno raised a finger to her lips for a moment to Shamhat, heading over to the bed and settling at his side. Her body leaned over his, hair falling over him a moment before she pressed her lips to his. The boy’s face heated up, hands delving into those dark locks as he kissed her back. She could see those red eyes smoldering before she closed her own.  
  
He tasted the wine on her lips no doubt, the sweet whites and rosés were lingering on her tongue.  
  
The purr that came from him was undeniable. She found herself pressing against him a little, ignoring the warning call from Shamhat for the moment so she could take in more of him.  
  
“I love you, my queen,” Proto murmured as she pulled back. He was breathless, eyes alight as he looked up at her. His fingers went through her hair. “Whether we are to fight or to remain here in your temple, I am your sword and here to slaughter your enemies. We can burn them together as I taste your fineness on my tongue.”  
  
“I need to get back to work, Prince Charming,” Hakuno told him. “But I missed you when I was with Enki. It hurts to be away from you.”  
  
His face was burning more, body turning away from her. “…Return to your practice with wine, my moon. I’ll… I’ll be here.”  
  
“I would not mind sitting with you and holding your hand while I work on my craft,” Hakuno offered, knowing full well the answer to come. The teen’s ears were a bold scarlet as he curled slightly around one of her pillows.  
  
“Resume your work, Hakuno. I am too handsome for you to focus on work and hold onto at the same time.”  
  
“I have sat with Caster and worked alongside him many times,” Hakuno argued.  
  
“Yes… Well… I’m better than Caster,” Proto replied, sounding almost panicked now. “You don’t have much time! Finish your work, Hakuno.”  
  
She kissed his shoulder before moving back to Shamhat, shrugging at the woman’s astounded look.  
  
They resumed the lesson once more, Hakuno finding her thoughts straying to the teen laying on the bed nearby.  
  
And to Archer and Caster.  
  
Even to child Gilgamesh, now that she was thinking about the king in general.  
  
There was something that dragged her back to them time and time again. Despite the laugh that haunted many of the servants and the arrogance that seemed to make the other servants personally thank her for taking the man off their hands. Despite the long arguments and the stupid moments they seemed to have with one another…  
  
Her mind was once more going to the late nights with Caster. The shared small intimate moments when Enkidu fell asleep and Archer was dragging the being to the bed to rest properly. Or when she found herself helping the mage king to finish the decrees for the people of Uruk… Her lips had often found his, her hands often kneading out the kinks and knots in his back. Sometimes she found herself bringing him tea.  
  
Other times, she found herself seeing that other side to Archer. Like this morning in finding his attention to detail with building her a temple. Or when he woke up from nightmares, pulling her to consciousness so he could simply take in her presence. Sometimes they would end up curled up in one another’s arms, the man’s lips tracing paths all their own over her skin…  
  
And then there was the times with child Gilgamesh, losing to cards or building up the gang of children around Chaldea. He made her laugh, his invitations to marry him when he was older making her roll her eyes a little. Not before him, of course. He loved her and she loved him, she wasn’t going to make his heart break, but she wasn’t going to take him seriously as a child. She would love him as was appropriate.  
  
“Hakuno?”  
  
“Hmm?” Hakuno pulled herself back to reality, pausing as Shamhat held the latest glass she had just created.  
  
“What is this?”  
  
“The red wine you had me try.”  
  
“No, taste this.” Shamhat held out the glass. “This is different… Better, although I can’t even begin to tell you how.”  
  
She took a sip, pausing as she looked at the wine herself.  
  
It was better. Sweet, but strong. She could feel the lingering of the euphoric, intoxicating factor of the alcohol in her face.  
  
“Make that for Gil.” Shamhat motioned at the glass. “I don’t know what Gilgamesh normally takes, but that’s just… potent. Goodness, I need some water.” She stood up, moving to get some water for them both as Prototype climbed to his feet.  
  
“Is it that good?” His eyes drifted to the glass.  
  
“Taste for yourself. I should probably get your opinion as well, since I need to give your older self a wine during the ceremony.”  
  
Prototype sipped at the wine, humming a little as the taste met his lips. He settled on her lap, continuing to drink without hesitation. The glass was drained of every last drop, his face reddening a little as he pulled the glass away and set it on the desk.  
  
Those red eyes drifted to hers, his body leaning back to her chest.  
  
“Gods, that was good. The finest wine to ever meet my lips. You’re truly the greatest of goddesses, my Hakuno.”  
  
“That’s the wine speaking,” Hakuno told him, wrapping her arms around his body lest he fall to the floor. The man paid her no mind, grinning a little.  
  
“Can you make that again though?”  
  
She could try. Her own Gates opened above the glass, pouring forth again the liquor. She found it to be a richer red than before, her eyes drifting to Gil’s eyes as it poured forth. Once again, the boy grabbed the glass and drank it down, his purr echoing a little as he set the empty glass down soon enough.  
  
“Better than before. Impossibly good,” he praised. His lips moved against her own. “I think I know what I love about it, Hakuno.”  
  
“It’s the lingering alcohol,” she told him.  
  
He shook his head, clicking his tongue as Shamhat handed her a glass of water.  
  
“It’s the attention to detail,” Proto murmured, his hands moving along her robed person. “I can taste your love for me in every last drop.” His lips were at her ear, purring the words so softly. “You don’t say it with words to me, not like I do, Hakuno. You pour it into your actions. You act as my older selves do, wanting to express your romantic tendencies with the way you hold yourself and the way you work. Your wine comes sweetly to my lips, welcoming and inviting as your pretty face and embrace. It’s smooth, loving, making me drink it all in until I feel it become a part of me. But you linger on, a necessary part to my happiness, making me intoxicated for-“ he hiccuped, those romantic words interrupted enough that Hakuno could hold back the reaction he was making. Shamhat drank her water quietly, waiting for instruction.  
  
“Gil, why don’t you lay down?” Hakuno pressed her lips lightly to his. “You’ve gotten a little drunk.”  
  
“I am drunk off the love of my woman,” Proto replied. “Let me take you away, Hakuno. I will promise you the worlds we can find within the rayshifts. All of the moon and stars can be ours, with just a yes from those lips of yours.”  
  
“You are drunk,” Hakuno told him. “And I have already told you that I love you. I’m doing this practice for you, Prince Charming.”  
  
“You will never regret your decision,” he promised.  
  
“I never do.”  
  
“I am going to please you so well.”  
  
He couldn’t even handle her teasing. She kissed him softly and beckoned him back to the bed, settling him in before returning to Shamhat’s side. Once more, the two of them were back on the task of wines and beers. More experimenting. More water.  
  
They stared up at the clock after a time, Shamhat’s head nodding a little.  
  
“I need to dress you, Hakuno. It’s getting late now. We must have you dressed to receive the king’s request.”  
  
Hakuno nodded.  
  
“Alright.”  
  
Another rope pull.  
  
The servants came pouring into the room, all women. Temple maidens for the great ‘Ninkasi’ from Shamhat’s introduction. There were fine fabrics and bold colors coming into the room. She found her body stripped, cleaned, oiled. She could feel the smooth expanse of her skin as Shamhat stained her lips a deep crimson.  
  
“Hakuno!”  
  
Hakuno glanced over towards the door as she heard the young boy’s voice. A mop of golden hair was just in her peripheral vision, a handful of gates opening as toys poured into the room.  
  
“How boring a room!” Child Gil settled onto the desk in front of her, holding a stuffed lion in his arms as a couple lion cubs curled up near the door. “Hakuno, did you not tell Archer to try harder? This room is so plain!”  
  
“I like it, Gil,” she told him, trying her best not to move as the servants worked. Golden jewelry was being placed carefully on her person as the women worked on her hair.  
  
“Sure, you do, but it could be so much better! You’ve seen my older selves’ rooms! They’re so much grander!”  
  
Ostentatious, to use Cu’s phrasing.  
  
“You’re so beautiful like this, Hakuno,” Gil told her, leaning forward a little from his seat on the desk. “What a shame my older self gets to enjoy all the benefits of this hard work. I’ll have to stay here with Prototype while the ceremony happens, but I can only imagine how beautiful you’ll look adorned in my colors and robes. Mother made one of the gifts in particular. She’s so excited.”  
  
“I’m sure I will love whatever gifts I receive.”  
  
His mother had made her something though? She hoped it wasn’t something necessarily related to liquor. The last she needed Gil’s mother to believe is that she was obsessed with drinking like Archer was. She had almost managed to forget the fact that Ninsun had met her while she was drunk. Gods, she had thought that his mother was a female version of him.  
  
“Hakuno.”  
  
Hakuno looked over at him as she gained more leeway for turning her face. They were managing to get to the end of her hair now with their ministrations.  
  
“I love you,” Gilgamesh told her, smiling a little more. His arms were around his legs, eyes gleaming. “I just thought you should know, in case you were nervous about this. After this, we’ll be married to one another and I’ll be able to call you my love and my queen.”  
  
“You sure you won’t regret it?”  
  
Gil laughed, throwing his head back a little much like his older selves. “Regret? What would I have to regret? You are my master and my goddess now. It only makes sense that whomever I fall for would be someone of great power and strength. Your stubbornness and subtle beauty are only for me to enjoy the full benefits of knowing.”  
  
Every day he sounded more like Archer and Caster. Both him and Prototype did. Hakuno found a pair of hands lifting her up, Enkidu grinned.  
  
“Are you ready?”  
  
“Enkidu! My brother.” Gil grinned at them.  
  
“Hello my soon to be little brother.” Enkidu beamed at him. “I have come to collect Hakuno for the ceremony. It’s almost sunset.”  
  
“I was telling Hakuno that she is well loved already.”  
  
“I heard that.” Enkidu looked over at Shamhat. “Do you think we need to worry about anything?”  
  
“My goddess will do as she pleases. It is not my place to guess what the gods and goddesses decide.” Shamhat smiled though.  
  
“Well then,” Enkidu leaned over to kiss the maiden a moment before looking at the others. “We’ll have a lovely night together, everyone, but we have a goddess to deliver to the world. Let’s get your goddess to her place and then find a room to celebrate when festivities have begun properly.”  
  
The women were already looking the being over as they turned her around and headed for the door. They were moving down the halls.  
  
Something was wrong, but she wasn’t sure what it was. All she could do was hold onto Enkidu’s arm, running through the runes Cu Caster had taught her and the directions of the palace that Caster Gilgamesh had indoctrinated her in.  
  
If anything tried to ruin Gilgamesh’s happiness and her own, she’d prove herself.  
  
She was supposed to be a goddess after all. Goddesses could fight off bad fortune.  
  
Couldn’t they?


	19. Chapter 19

“You’re not going to seriously sleep with all my temple maidens, are you?” Hakuno held up her robes a little so she could walk, careful to keep holding Enkidu’s arm as they made their way through the temple part of the palace and back into the proper part of the ziggurat. The golds and crimson colors were increased by a magnificent amount as they walked through the halls. She could see the banners and tapestries that made up the walls had been cleaned and adorned with extra fabric.  
  
The floors themselves had flowers strewn about, incense working its magic in corners of the halls.  
  
Enkidu grinned, glancing over at her.  
  
“Temple maidens are about physical pleasure. They enjoy their work and they won’t like the idea of being idle while their goddess is busy experiencing such joys in the arms of our king. Besides, it’s been a long time since I spent time with Shamhat. It’ll be nice to go back to her.”  
  
“She seems like she missed you as well,” Hakuno told them. “I suppose it’s fine. You have a point about them.” She just didn’t want the being to be sleeping with them and not caring about them at all. Valuing them was important…  
  
Then again, their position was about not becoming attached. They slept with a lot of people in general.  
  
She was going to need to get used to them. Maybe she’d ask Ereshkigal about her maidens.  
  
“Hakuno.”  
  
Enkidu stopped them near the front entrance of the palace as Caster stepped into the hall.  
  
His attire was changed, the deep blue robes adorning his body showed off his gold jewelry. His turban was gone, hair shining more than usual.  
  
But she was focused on the way he was looking her over, moving forward as Enkidu let her go. She could feel him leaning in, lips pressing to hers.  
  
“The maidens did a number with you,” he breathed against her lips, running his hands along her body, the fabric doing little to help the matter. If anything, it made her body more sensitive, more alive at the way he touched her. “I want to take you to my chambers and force Archer to rule for a few days again.”  
  
“I need to do this, don’t I?” Hakuno looked up at him, pulling back a little more.  
  
He nodded, eyes glued to her. “You do. We won’t have the gods stop testing us if we don’t. They’ll seek weaknesses, question Ninsun and myself, and most likely now bother Enki if we don’t do something. This is Archer’s idea, but it is a good one. I will happily take credit for his good sense.”  
  
“Archer comes up with plenty of good ideas,” Hakuno argued.  
  
“I’ll be in our chambers in the morning,” Caster murmured to her. “I cannot be there for the initial rights since that is for you and Archer to complete, but once dawn comes, I’ll come to join. I must confess I’ll most likely be spending the evening with Proto and my child self. I’ve promised my youngest self that we’ll play cards or something… I’m not sure what’s in store for me.”  
  
“Rest, please.” Hakuno leaned up on her tiptoes, pressing her lips to his. “You need to rest. I don’t want you staying up all night and then coming to me exhausted.”  
  
“I am not so weak as to fall asleep before our time together.”  
  
“I don’t want you feeling faint during our time together.”  
  
“If I knew as much as Archer did on fine wines, I would be with you tonight,” Caster complained, once again running his hands along her waist. She could see him hesitating, eyeing her so carefully, as though he were memorizing her every detail. “You saw your temple, didn’t you?”  
  
“I just came from there.”  
  
“And?”  
  
She wrapped her hands around his, pulling them to her lips and kissing them softly. Her eyes were focused on his, letting her happiness bleed through. “You mean everything to me, Gilgamesh. You know me better than anyone. It’s still a waste since I am a lesser goddess, but-“  
  
“You should have had your own building,” Caster argued, turning his hands so he could grab hers. He leaned between them, pressing his lips to hers again. “I understand his thinking in building it within the palace, but you deserve a mighty place of worship, not simply a selection of rooms and a large altar room as he has built. I am evaluating the budget for the upcoming year-“  
  
“I like my temple. Don’t waste the budget on something like that.” Hakuno shook her head. “It’s perfect as it is.”  
  
The mage king simply smiled, once more standing upright and turning his head away. “You’re supposed to be going to the entrance, Hakuno. I would suggest you not keep me waiting. My archer self is less patient and sensible than I am.”  
  
“Of course.”  
  
Enkidu elbowed him before taking her arm once again. They moved passed him and Enkidu murmured about temple maidens, earning a grunt from the king before he wandered off.  
  
“I don’t think he’s going to go for temple maidens.”  
  
“I know. It’s always fun to offer and watch him react like that.” Enkidu smirked at her a little before stopping in the entranceway. The guards looked over at them, earning a wave from Enkidu before they resumed their position.  
  
“So I just…”  
  
“You’ll pour wine or beer into the pathways into the city, filling the city with your blessing and then Gil will take the lead. I’m sure he’s closeby.”  
  
“Where are the others?”  
  
Enkidu motioned her forward, to the edge of the ziggurat’s staircase. She could see Gudako and Cu Lancer standing at the bottom of the stairs.  
  
“The others have been stationed throughout Uruk to ensure things go smoothly. After hearing about what happened on your way back to Uruk, we wanted to ensure that things go according to plan.”  
  
“Thank you.” Hakuno looked up at the being, smiling a little.  
  
It felt good, knowing her friends had her back and that things were going to be okay. Everyone was here. Everyone was going to ensure that she could do this.  
  
And then things would calm.  
  
Enkidu motioned her to sit at the top of the stairs, motioning to the two pathways that had been built to lead from the ziggurat through the city. They were like the pathways for torchlight to lead down. That was probably their normal intention. Instead she was going to use them to imbibe the city.  
  
Probably a questionable plan, but she was going to go with it.  
  
“You’ll do fine, sister,” Enkidu murmured. They moved back into the palace and she was alone.  
  
Looking out at the skies, she took in the stained horizon, the peaceful sounds of the people below talking and cheering here and there. She closed her eyes, focusing in.  
  
Wine. She didn’t have to do anything special for them. The only wine that needed to be special was the wine she poured for Gilgamesh. Other than that, she simply needed to sway the people. She called forth the gates, letting the wine begin to flow. It rained down like stormclouds, filling and flowing through the paths into the city. She could see the lights of the city as the sun began to set, see the people wandering out as the guards moved to light the torchlight places at the top of the ziggurat.  
  
The excitement of the people bubbled forth, as music began at the bottom of the stairs. She could hear her goddess name being called out, the people looking up towards her and excitedly raising their glasses and mugs for her.  
  
So much happiness.  
  
She continued to let the wine flow, letting it run as wild and as free as the rivers through Uruk.  
  
This was what Gilgamesh’s people deserved. Actually, they deserved far more. Gilgamesh worked so hard for them. They helped him have the greatest kingdom in the world. They looked up to him, loved him. Every time he handed out a decree, they were the ones that saw the decrees through. They listened to him and they worked with him.  
  
They deserved to be treated and loved.  
  
She opened another set of gates, letting the wine flow more freely. Her mana was going to be recuperating a little after this whole ceremony, but that was fine. She would be with Gilgamesh. He would help her recover.  
  
She could hear see them beginning to dance in the streets. Gudako and the others were joining in the festivities. She could see Edmond dragging Gudako to where several others were dancing and laughed a little at the duo.  
  
They deserved to have some fun as well.  
  
The skies were going from the deepening blue and that red stain to vibrant purples and oranges. She could see the clouds moving in, covering up the sunlight. She city lights were blooming more, lighting up the world below in thousands of lights. She could see clay forming at the bottom of the ziggurat. The clay forms moved in time to the humans, swaying here and there.  
  
She could see the masked god moving amongst the humans, swaying like the humans. Enki stopped near two others, dancing before them with his mask shining in the lights of the city.  
  
Most likely the other two gods she had run into. She was glad that they could be here. If only for Enki to calm and sway better to their ends. Enki seemed to love her and Enkidu. She hoped the god could sway An and Enlil that she was best with Gilgamesh. They could continue the peace that they had currently.  
  
Uruk was successful, boisterous. It was alive with life and happiness.  
  
Surely no god would want to ruin such things.  
  
No, none would want to ruin what peace had been created here. They would want to let this peace last, thrive.  
  
Something came up behind her as she looked out at the city. She could sense them coming close. Finally, she thought as she let the wine continue to pour.  
  
She had started to worry that Archer wasn’t going to make it in time to see the lights of the city with her until they were well enough intoxicated.  
  
Something swiped over her neck.  
  
Warmth flowed from her. Her body staggered forward, hitting the stairs and rolling down a ways as she looked up.  
  
She didn’t know this person, but they wiped off their dagger quietly, looking down at her as she choked. The sounds of the music died down as she heard a roar come from the world below. Her eyes were glued to the being at the top of the stairs.  
  
The Gates of Babylon opened, hundreds of them, filling the skies like thousands of stars. She could see the light of them illuminating Archer’s armor. His face was stoic as he slammed against the man, sword running through the god’s body. She could see Caster’s robes flowing through the skies as he rushed down the stairs.  
  
But the being wasn’t dying. She could see their dark hair move as they tried to turn to attack Archer. Opening her mouth to scream to Archer, to warn him, she found a light flying down from the very top of the ziggurat. A piercing light, beating back the darkness of the early night, slamming into their face without preamble.  
  
Archer glanced up towards them, a smirk coming to his face a moment before Hakuno found her view blocked by Caster. The sounds of something rushing passed them, ripping and tearing at something that screeched into the night could be heard. Gil’s laughter echoed behind them, but she could see nothing.  
  
“Hakuno,” Caster murmured. “Hakuno, are you-“  
  
“Who…” She tried to ask who it was. Who had attacked now?  
  
Caster leaned in, pressing a hand to her neck and beginning a chant in Sumerian. She couldn’t make out all the words quite yet, but her neck felt whole. His eyes went to her robes, face falling a little.  
  
“Nanna didn’t get the invite to this for obvious reasons,” Caster murmured, looking towards the city as Gudako and the others were worming their way to the front of the crowd. She could see Enki rushing through the throngs of people, scaring people back with his mask.  
  
“Who is Nanna?”  
  
Caster pulled away, setting her upright. She felt her neck, feeling the closed wound. There was still blood, she found as she pulled back her hand. She was no doubt bloodied from the attack.  
  
She had sensed danger and gotten caught up in the rapture.  
  
“Caster,” Archer’s voice spoke up from behind her. She felt Caster move to stand, but she couldn’t let him leave her. She reached out, grabbing onto his arm only to see him shake his head.  
  
“I cannot stay here,” Caster murmured. “The ceremony has begun and stopping now would mean Nanna’s attempt at asserting dominance over the city as its god would be successful.” He leaned in close. “Don’t let them win, Hakuno. You love me, do you not?”  
  
“I do.” Hakuno bit her lip, looking nervously towards the city.  
  
There were gods still against them. Was it truly safe to be with Gilgamesh?  
  
Caster was gone though. She felt a fabric move over her face as the Gates of Babylon lit up the world outside the fabric.  
  
“PEOPLE OF URUK!” Archer’s voice was louder than she’d ever heard it. The world in silence. “AS YOUR KING, I DEMAND VERY LITTLE!”  
  
The world was so quiet. There were no running up the ziggurat stairs, no voices or music now.  
  
“WE OBEY AND WE LISTEN,” Archer went on. “WE WORSHIPPED AND WE SUFFERED UNDER TIAMAT! YET ONE GODDESS IN PARTICULAR TOOK IT UPON THEMSELVES TO WANT TO GIVE MORE!”  
  
A series of cheers came as Archer said that.  
  
“NINKASI!” Archer shouted. “THE GODDESS OF WINE! THE GODDESS WHO SATES THE HEART! THE GODDESS BROUGHT FORTH THROUGH ENKI! THE CREATOR!”  
  
More cheers, she could see the lights flickering below through the dark fabric.  
  
“AND WHAT DO WE DO WITH SUCH A GODDESS WHO WISHES TO LOVE US AS NONE OTHER HAS?” Archer demanded.  
  
Many shouts came. She could hear mention of temple maidens and rolled her eyes.  
  
“DO WE ALLOW THE FATHER GOD OF ISHTAR TO WOUND HER?”  
  
Negation came in the forms of booing and shouting, she could hear Cu Chulainn Prototype and Arthur’s voices alongside Edmond’s demands to kill the god. Geez, the idiots were going to cause a war with that kind of talk.  
  
“DO WE ALLOW THE GODDESS TO SIMPLY BE CAST DOWN THE ZIGGURAT’S STEPS?”  
  
More anger, more outrage. She could hear Enki and the other two gods calling forth for him not to do that.  
  
“I, YOUR GLORIOUS KING!” Archer praised himself as he went on, “THE KING WHO SEES YOU THROUGH TRAIL AND TRIBULATION, CAN ONLY THINK OF ONE THING TO DO WITH THIS VIRGIN GODDESS!”  
  
Fuck this king.  
  
“I CAN ONLY THINK OF ONE WAY WE CAN TRULY ASSURE THIS GODDESS OF SATISFACTION AND ADORATION FOR OUR PEOPLE THAT WE, THE PEOPLE AND DIVINE LEADERSHIP OF URUK WISH TO KEEP HER GOOD GRACES!”  
  
Cheers again. The whole city was no doubt drunk; drunk on the action, drunk on the wine, drunk on their king’s charismatic ways.  
  
“I WILL TAKE THE GODDESS, NINKASI, AS MY QUEEN AND WIFE! THROUGH DIVINE, UNBREAKABLE VOWS OF SPOUSALSHIP!”  
  
The roar of approval was deafening. They had all sensed it, no doubt from the cloth going over her head. They had known even then that this was going to go about, but hearing it from Archer was the icing on the cake for them.  
  
Something poured forth, washing over her.  
  
The scent was different than she had expected. After ages of smelling the potent colognes and bold ideas of aftershave on the king’s body, she had expected him to dump gallons of his favorite smell on her. Instead, a sweet smell of roses and figs met her nose. The soft scent was strange to her, but next she felt the king removing her robes.  
  
“I GIVE HER THE SCENT OF OUR PEOPLE,” he roared out to the crowd, “BESTOWING WHAT OUR PEOPLE ARE MORE THAN CAPABLE OF PROVIDING TO ONE ANOTHER!”  
  
Excitement was undeniable, making her shiver as she felt the thin fabric of her inner robes remaining now. She could feel Archer’s gloved hands moving the outer robes over her neck and chest lightly. The sound of fabric moving could be heard, moving over her shoulders.  
  
“THE FABRICS OF OUR PEOPLE, PREPARED BY THE GREAT GODDESS NINSUN, WRAPPED AROUND HER BODY NOW!”  
  
She felt the fabric removed from her face, presenting the stern and proud features of Archer. She could see those red eyes gleaming. Prouder and more arrogant than she had ever seen him, commanding and undeniable.  
  
“AND NOW!” He shouted to the people behind her, keeping that eye contact. “WHAT SAY YOU, NINKASI, GODDESS OF URUK AND OF THE SATISFACTION OF HUMANITY?”  
  
It took a second. She was losing herself to the look in the king’s eyes. She’d never seen him command to this extent. He had never held power like this before, at least, not in front of her. It was… Gods, it was amazing. He was truly like nothing else.  
  
It was little wonder so many women had fallen to his feet before, wishing for the opportunity she had right here. Wishing for their interest to be returned like it was being returned right now.  
  
Hakuno closed her eyes, letting the gates open. She could sense another gate open, a cup falling into Gilgamesh’s hands a moment before she did her best.  
  
Wine.  
  
She needed the best wine she could muster for him. Something that would be far beyond anything he had tasted. She needed to give him something that would rank higher than anything before. He was the best of the Gilgamesh in knowing such things. She was supposed to be the true goddess of wine and intoxicating drinks.  
  
More than that, she needed to give him something back.  
  
She had gotten everything from him.  
  
He had given up so much of his treasury for her. He had been with her for so long. Nights of staying up together, distracting one another from the memories that had plagued them both. Nights of stupid games and arguing and bickering. She had spent so long with Gilgamesh, finding him after losing him. Forgetting him and then remembering again.  
  
She couldn’t help but to notice the way the wine matched his eyes as it poured forth from the gates she created.  
  
He lifted the cup to his lips, drinking from the fine wine deeply. Those eyes never left hers as he drank. She couldn’t help the breath she held, waiting.  
  
She waited and waited, more worried and scared than she had been when Nanna had attacked her and gone for Archer.  
  
He lowered the cup, a smirk playing on those lips before he raised the glass, turning to the people.  
  
“WE HAVE BEEN BLESSED! BEHOLD THE QUEEN OF URUK! THE GODDESS WHO SATES THE HEART OF YOUR KING! THE MAKER OF FINE WINE AND OUR FUTURE KING!”  
  
The roar was unstoppable, shaking the earth itself. She couldn’t help the dizziness that came over her as Gilgamesh swept her up into his arms. His armor clanked a little as he took the steps two at a time. He only stopped as they reached the top of the stairs.  
  
“FEAST! INDULGE! PRAISE YOUR KING AND HIS GODDESS QUEEN! DRINK UNTIL NINKASI HERSELF MUST REPLENISH OUR SUPPLIES! FEAST UNTIL THE GODS THEMSELVES MUST CALL FORTH THE FOREST CREATURES TO FILL OUR BELLIES!”  
  
More cheering, Hakuno clung to the king as they passed the guards, the praise no doubt going to the king’s head as the guards bowed to him.  
  
Ninsun hurried forth as they entered.  
  
“I need to finish the task, mother.” Archer looked over at her, pausing.  
  
"You wish to take her, don't throw the sense of duty into this."  
  
"Mother-"  
  
“I cannot help myself.” The woman smiled at him before Hakuno felt her face pulled forward a little. Ninsun’s lips pressed to her cheeks. “I am pleased. I have a daughter. A little queen for my son.” She was kissing her cheeks more, leaning in close. Hakuno couldn’t even breathe through all the attention. “Although Nanna must pay for ruining my work. I made the robes to suit her plain features and he finds a way to stain them in blood. No doubt, he wanted revenge for the insult to his useless child.”  
  
“Mother,” Archer tugged at her, making Hakuno cling to him more.  
  
“I will behave.” Ninsun murmured. Her eyes drifted between them, smile saying otherwise. “You have my unending blessing, my children. Go finish what you’ve started. Prove to the god, Nanna, that there is more to a goddess than fickle vanity and being a weak damsel.”  
  
Archer smirked at her before heading away.  
  
Damn it.  
  
“Ninsun!”  
  
Hakuno watched the woman look over at her, raising a brow.  
  
“…Thank you. For bringing Gilgamesh into the world and raising him well!” Hakuno smiled at her. “I don’t know if I would trust anyone else at my side other than him!”  
  
“Addressing your mother-in-law by her actual name,” Ninsun shook her head. “Still behaving as a mongrel. I blame your caster self, Gilgamesh. Please ensure my daughter understands how to properly address me when you are done pleasuring her.”  
  
Archer laughed as Hakuno just blinked. The doors closed to the main entrance and she was gone.  
  
They moved through the dark halls, Hakuno’s waist over Archer’s shoulder from calling back to Ninsun. She could feel his armor slowly fading from his person, the robes he usually enjoyed wearing coming forth instead. The red fabric fluttered out behind him as they moved, the threads of the sun pattern glinting in the lights of the torches.  
  
“You know she’s going to want to be called mother by you,” Gilgamesh murmured.  
  
“You could have warned me.”  
  
Gilgamesh laughed, turning a corner. They were heading to the depths of the palace, deep within where Caster and Archer had created a bigger chamber, where they could indulge without anyone hearing what was happening.  
  
Hakuno bit her lip. “…Do you think it’s safe to do this? Nanna will-“  
  
“He will do nothing. Proto shot him in between the eyes and Enki’s clay beings took him away. I imagine the god of creation is having a good conversation with him at the moment about the dangers of attacking what is his… again.”  
  
“Again?”  
  
“Nanna was behind the death of Enkidu when Ishtar went running to him.” Archer pulled her back into his arms properly, looking at her a moment before he moved before the doors to his chambers.  
  
Nanna had been the one to want to kill Enkidu?  
  
Well, that made her hate him just a little. Enkidu was perfect, a flawless creation who wanted nothing more than to live and be happy. They didn’t ask for anything, simply enjoying what came to pass. They indulged as any human would, worried as any human would; truly, a human being of clay and happiness.  
  
“Hakuno, what did I tell you this morning?” Archer smirked down at her. “Stop thinking.” He pushed the doors to his room open, carrying her over the threshold. “Now is not the time for thinking, but the time for doing. I’ve got a mission for tonight and it’s leaving as little thought as possible in that mind of yours. By dawn, the only thoughts running through your head is making more of that bliss you made for me earlier. You have a gift for wine-making and now is my time for rewarding you. Allow me to begin with a lesson on pleasure.”


	20. Chapter 20

The door slammed with such finality behind them. It rang out in the same manner that his words did. No debate, no turning back now.  
  
Gilgamesh’s lips found her own, taking over for the moment.  
  
“Gil,” she breathed, holding that face of his in her hands.  
  
He was being ridiculous about this whole thing. Now was the time for all the thinking. They needed to figure out what to do about the palace and about how her duties as a goddess would affect their being in Chaldea and being in charge of Uruk. They needed to talk about the new relationships she had built with the other gods. Goodness, but she needed to think through what it meant to have Nanna trying to kill her.  
  
But his lips were moving against her own, one hand delving into her hair.  
  
They moved through the room… probably. Her back met plush fabrics, but she couldn’t look around. Over and over, her lips met Gilgamesh’s own. He stole the air, he ran his hands along her body. She had to steal it all back, breathe him in as he breathed her in.  
  
Her legs had to move to wrap around his waist, the bangles and necklaces jingling against one another as she did.  
  
Eyes like two flames, the king pulled back a little. He sat up, towering over her on his knees as he looked her over. Those hands were moving along his chest, pulling back the robes on his person. Beautiful red robes, peeling back to show that chest and those tattoos underneath his bold golden necklaces. She panted, keeping the eye contact with him as he stripped himself down.  
  
He bared himself to her, leaving little to the imagination. It felt like a show the way he pulled the fabrics from his person, the way he simply smiled as though he had won the world and all its grails for himself.  
  
Did she say his name? Were her thoughts written across her face?  
  
Those hands of his moved to her hands, running along her arms until he could hold both hands in his own. His lips pressed against them. His eyes just flickered and sparked beneath those thick lashes of his.  
  
“Hakuno,” he breathed.  
  
How was he capable of saying her name like that?  
  
She could feel her body heating up. She wasn’t sure how to make it stop. She wasn’t sure if she could. In this time and place, there was simply the two of them. Nothing else mattered. Nothing else…  
  
There was something that had been on her mind before.  
  
It was hard to remember. It was hard to think of anything else.  
  
“Hakuno, look at you,” the man murmured. “After all the times you said you wouldn’t fall when we were on the Moon Cell. After all those nights turning away from me when you went to rest, here you are. Here you are spread out across my bed, wearing my colors and my valuables.” He kissed her hands, making her body react so easily to such simple things. “Here you are, welcoming me to your body like the little queen my people have welcomed you as.”  
  
“Gil…”  
  
“Don’t speak,” he demanded softly. His eyes closed as he kissed along one of her arms. He kept the other in hand as he went. She could feel him working his way up to her shoulder, to her collarbone. “Let me take in the sight of you like this. I intend to take my time with you.”  
  
It wasn’t as though they had never done this before. Why was he making this out to be anything more than the kind of sex they normally had?  
  
It did feel different. She wouldn’t deny that.  
  
The way her body was reacting was stronger than usual. The way the king was playing with her, moving his hands along her skin, tracing her every outline… Her skin was on fire, her eyes were glued to the look in those eyes as he moved to kiss her properly again.  
  
Once again, she tried to do something for him. She tried to wrap her arms around him, to make him feel what he was making her feel, but he kept his grip firm. He kept himself on top of her, claiming her. The robes he had wrapped around her body were being loosened. The robes beneath being undone and spread open. The sleeves were bunched up around her shoulders, around where his lips had been.  
  
“Hakuno,” his voice murmured.  
  
“You tease,” she breathed.  
  
The smile she found coming to that face had her heart stuttering. He lifted her, pulling the robes from her.  
  
He wanted them both naked. She could help-  
  
Gil’s teeth sank in a bit, the pain bringing a moan to her lips. There was still so much gold to get off her person. They were still wearing all of the necklaces and bracelets that had been placed upon them before the ceremony.  
  
Another bite, her toes were curling.  
  
Another.  
  
Who the hell cared about what was on her body? She needed to be touched. She needed to touch him more.  
  
She yanked on the necklaces around his neck, feeling his teeth sink in a bit further. Pushing him away, she forced him back, forced him to look at her directly. Her lips pressed against his again. Her arms wrapped around his shoulders to do this right.  
  
Her chest, as oversized as the king whined about it being, pressed against his chest. The necklaces slipped between them, sending a shiver through her body.  
  
Gilgamesh was about presentation though.  
  
He wouldn’t stand to be outdone by her touching him and trying to take over their actions together. He wouldn’t care about simply satisfying himself. He was about leaving that sense of being overwhelmed. He was arrogance and pride. She could already see it, both in the way his lips were moving against her body and the way he was slowly, carefully caressing her chest. Those calloused hands were running over her chest.  
  
“Let me do this,” he murmured. “After all the waiting I did to have half of what I have now, let me take the liberty of discovering your body again. Let me see what differences the body of a goddess has in comparison to the mortality you had before.”  
  
There was no difference, she wanted to say. But thoughts came to mind from his statement.  
  
He wanted to know what a goddess was like, huh?  
  
She pushed him, hard. The blond fell back against the bed, eyebrow raised as she climbed on top of him. His hands were still holding her chest. His eyes were still amused more than anything.  
  
The gates she had opened by pure mistake for Prototype came into fruition. It illuminated their faces before the liquor began to pour forth. Gilgamesh laughed, opening his mouth a moment to take it in. He summoned a container after a moment, wiping at his lips and staring her down. The gates were closed the moment his lips found hers again.  
  
They were at it again. The taste of wine on his mouth as he reached between them and began to stroke her body. His fingers were moving to a rhythm, his manhood coming closer to her. Sensing his intentions, she reached between them, wrapping her hand along him only to hear him laughing softly.  
  
“So stubborn, always trying to please me.”  
  
Please him.  
  
Yes, she was wanting to please him.  
  
After all this time of having him take over their play, having him give the commands despite her being the master; it was time. She could do something this time. She could take over their bedroom activities and she could tell him exactly what she thought of his teasing and games.  
  
Opening another gate, she heard his laugh again, another gate opening to pull out another vase for filling. Her body lowered, slipping through his arm around her waist to reach his manhood.  
  
Like before, she opened her mouth, taking him in. Unlike before, her throat seemed to want to disagree with this plan. The gag reflex kicked in and she found herself nearly coughing at the feeling of him in her mouth, but she wasn’t going to stop.  
  
No, she took in as much of him as she could and began to move her head.  
  
Slowly, in and out.  
  
She took a moment as his hands delved into her hair to smirk up at him. Her tongue ran over the tip of him.  
  
“H-Hakuno-“  
  
“It’s okay to do this, isn’t it?” Hakuno kept that eye contact as she pulled back enough to speak. Her fingers stroked at him as she did. “You saved my life, after all. You married me. Aren’t we supposed to be like this?”  
  
If only she could have taken a picture of that face.  
  
The man was leaning back, his face stunned beyond all belief as she once more took him into her mouth. She forced herself to tighten her mouth around him, to suck on him as he fell back. One hand went to the back of her head, the other went to the wine she had called forth.  
  
She could feel him lost, his attempts to take it all in and indulge in what was happening impossible. She could see the wine spill onto his chest, the look in his eyes darkening as she moaned against him.  
  
“We can’t do this,” he breathed.  
  
Whatever he meant was apparent soon enough. He pulled her from him, yanking her up to his lips and tasting her once again. Her body was pushed into the bed, her mouth claimed and her legs being split. Those hands of his tossed her legs over his shoulders. His manhood pressed against her center, pushing in only for her to feel her vision spinning a little.  
  
Lots of movement, lots of this euphoric feeling.  
  
She didn’t want to breathe through it. She didn’t want to do anything but enjoy it. Enjoy him. His pace was picking up quickly. She lifted her hips, meeting that every push he gave. Every time his body moved to meet hers, moved to fill hers, she pushed back. His hands tried to hold her, tried to make her simply focus on her own pleasure, but she shifted her hips, tightening around him.  
  
She had learned.  
  
“Hakuno,” he purred.  
  
There wasn’t anything to say now.  
  
They both knew there was nothing else to say. They both just wanted this. They wanted to be touching and be touched. They wanted to pleasure the other, as far and as much as they could.  
  
She felt him get a good hold of one of her hips, biting into the other side of her neck as he slammed against that weak spot within her. Her vision blurred, the sounds escaping her breathless. Her nails ran down his back. Her head fell back.  
  
Another slam into that spot. He had figured out exactly how to get her to insanity.  
  
That heavenly state of being was coming in, she couldn’t stop it no matter how hard she tried. Her hands moved to his face, trying to pull him back to her lips. Her lips were raining over his skin, her own now burning without him. She shivered at the look, at the emotions gleaming from those eyes.  
  
“I love you,” she tried to tell him, unsure of how her voice had become that desperate. But she said it again, listening to her own voice begging without words for what was to come.  
  
“Show me then,” he purred, the demon simply smiling at the hypersensitive state her body had gotten to. “Show me how much you love me.”  
  
Her vision turned to white as she cried out, her body just gave in, welcoming the climax as it began to take over. The edge of her reason had been reached. She could feel him pushing onwards though. Over and over, his lips took the liberty of pressing along her skin while he pounded into her.  
  
The second climax had her gripping the bedsheets, her face turning away a moment only to be turned back. His lips pressed to hers, answering the senseless sounds of her body begging for him. He moved his mouth so deeply in that kiss.  
  
Warmth was sinking in, flooding through her.  
  
Her body was turned and pulled along with his, their bodies remaining connected.  
  
Addictive kisses, little kisses.  
  
She could feel herself falling further.  
  
She could feel herself falling so much further.  
  
She was a fool.  
  
Just as he had accused her of being, she was a fool. They could have been doing this so much sooner. They could have been indulging in one another like this so much sooner. Instead she had been caught up in so much of the petty fights, the comparisons to others, the trials and tribulations that had come up around them.  
  
But he had been right there, waiting and fighting. He had been right there to bicker and tease.  
  
Her arms wrapped around his shoulders, breasts against his chest as she kissed him back with kiss after intoxicating kiss. She poured it all into the touches with him, every regret, every promise. The marriage ceremony had been nothing like the ones she had heard about. There were no vows and no simple promises to risk breaking in the future.  
  
It had been about claiming, about showing power and proving yourself.  
  
A one sided marriage affair, designed for the old world’s customs and beliefs no doubt.  
  
Being in this room was different though. The bravado was tempered. Gilgamesh was still holding her, still eagerly, knowingly kissing her. His hands were running along her back, toying with the ends of her hair.  
  
He let her take the lead in these little kisses though. His eyes closed as she took charge of the kisses.  
  
Time just stopped in light of what was happening.  
  
It felt that way anyway. There was just kissing him, just touching him. Her hands ran over his skin, tracing along his body. She could see the faintest of marks here and there, no doubt from life and war. Her fingers moved through his hair, finding his lips lacking in his attention during her exploration of his body.  
  
Couldn’t have that.  
  
He sipped at her wine while she explored him. His eyes danced in humor as she found her way back to him, the taste of indulgence on his lips.  
  
She loved him though.  
  
Gods, she loved him.  
  
Such a fool she was, finding him pushing her back again the bed and beginning their play once again. Her body connected to him without preamble. Her ankles were locking behind his waist as she found him teasing her about all the jewelry.  
  
“We should have done this sooner,” he murmured, kissing her chest. “If I would have known you would wear my jewelry like this if I made you my queen, I would have married you long ago. You’d have been bound to me on the Moon Cell.”  
  
“You would not,” she argued, pushing back that blond hair. As he lifted that face, she took the opportunity to steal back those lips. “You would have laughed and told me that you don’t take mongrels as plain as myself.”  
  
“Don’t assume my words,” he growled.  
  
He would have though. They had needed every moment leading up to this. Every single second had been vital.  
  
Her lips moved against his more, apologetic in her own way. Not at saying what she had, but in finding him sulking about it.  
  
The tables began to turn after the third climax. His hands were the ones that ran over her body. He draped the necklaces around her neck more properly along her skin. His hands lifted up her legs and her arms, taking the time to run his lips along each limb.  
  
He was claiming every inch of her, every part of her body until there was not a single place she could think of that hadn’t been embraced by him. She melted against the bedsheets, watching him uselessly after a time.  
  
She loved him.  
  
She told him so only to watch those eyes soften. The smirk that came to his lips came a moment before she gasped.  
  
His hands hoisted up her hips, his mouth pressing against her center. His tongue ran over her body down there, delving and tasting at her. He began to suck on her, making her hold the sheets tighter. Her eyes rolled back, the sounds coming from her immediate and needy.  
  
“You held back the best indulgence,” he purred a moment before that tongue was delving in.  
  
Where he himself had been and filled, his tongue now went. The spot he had found was abused once again.  
  
She held whatever she could, body jelly as another climax ripped through her.  
  
Damn him.  
  
She couldn’t handle being taken like that. Not even for the look of pure bliss that came over his face as he pulled back and licked his lips. She couldn’t handle the way he seemed to just know. He pressed his lips back to hers, earning a moan for all his efforts.  
  
“Tell me again, Hakuno.”  
  
“I love you.”  
  
“Once again.”  
  
“I love you, Gilgamesh…”  
  
Such a charming boyish smile on that face, he ran a hand through that hair and she was seeing Proto. She could see bags under his eyes and she was thinking about Caster. Gods, but he was laughing at her, moving in and kissing away the thoughts again.  
  
“You’re scaring off the maidens trying to bring food,” a voice called over to them. Hakuno looked over Gil’s shoulder, feeling him press down on her a little.  
  
Caster and Prototype stood by the doorway, Caster handing the tray of food over to his younger self before he was approaching the bed.  
  
“Has it gotten closer to sunrise?” Archer grinned a little, rolling off of her as the necklaces and attire on his caster self were being tossed at the floors.  
  
“It’s well into the afternoon at this point,” Caster chastised. “You both indulge so loudly that the guards were on edge to allow anyone close.”  
  
“Must be the wines,” Archer replied, grabbing a cup from the gates and filling himself a healthy amount from one of the containers around the bed.  
  
Hakuno went to move, but Caster was climbing onto the bed. His lips pressed to hers, her body once again simply giving in. There wasn’t a choice at this point. She couldn’t argue had she even the energy. Archer had taken so long and done so much. Her mind just flickered through the new possibilities that the man had created; her body simply gave in to see what would happen next.  
  
Caster pulled back, holding a hand out and receiving his own glass. He sipped at the wine himself, giving out a small moan.  
  
“I can see why Archer was keeping you here. I hope that no other has the opportunity to taste this. It is like tasting your body.  
  
Oh, but those words were doing things to her.  
  
She opened her mouth to speak, but another was climbing onto the bed. The two kings paused as Prototype was moving between them, claiming her lips as he tugged at his own attire.  
  
Clumsier, more passionate; Hakuno slid lower onto the bed and wrapped her arms around him. Her hands kept him close as he tried to be what his future selves were. She felt his face burning, his eyes wide as he pulled back from their kiss.  
  
He panted, holding the bed on either side of her as he looked over her bedraggled body.  
  
“I love you.”  
  
The other two in the bed just paused, cups near their faces as Hakuno had the opportunity to laugh.  
  
She had needed each one of them.  
  
She had needed Prototype to say such things to her. She had needed that flowery wording and honest emotions. She had needed his building bravado and uncertain touches. He built up all of this strength she hadn’t been able to get in touch with.  
  
Her lips pressed to his again and she grinned into the smile.  
  
“Say it again,” she demanded, watching those eyes of Archer’s darken off to the side.  
  
“I love you,” Prototype breathed into her lips. “I love you more than anything else in the universe. I want to be with you every single day of my life.”  
  
Her body burned like his face. Her happiness at the words beyond all measure.  
  
“I love you too,” she replied, watching him simply become faint.  
  
“Drink,” Caster demanded of his younger self. The glass of wine was set in the teen’s hands before Hakuno felt the man’s lips moving against her own. Archer’s touch returned behind her.  
  
She could see Proto sipping at his drink, shuddering a little at the taste of alcohol.  
  
“Focus on us,” Archer breathed. “Prince Charming’ll die if he has to take all that attention any further from you, Hakuno.”  
  
“He will,” Caster agreed, that purr doing wicked things to her senses. Those red eyes looking knowingly into her own. “What a tease of a queen I have acquired, wanting to send my younger self into insanity. I will need to guard myself from you, lest you do the same to me.”  
  
Hakuno didn’t taste food for eternity. Her body shifted and stretched in a thousand different ways from the three’s attentions. Time and time again, Hakuno found herself pressing the mark on her hand to one of the others'. Just once more. And once more after that. The unbreakable binding between them set in place.  
  
Proto moved to the floor to breathe after a time, his body laying numbly as the two others descended upon her again.


	21. Chapter 21

“Women are dangerous,” Edmond declared, sipping at his coffee as Prototype settled at his side and nodded. Mimicking the elder man’s stance, Prototype Gilgamesh was sipping at his own coffee. The bags under his eyes were dark, making Gudako wonder if she should ask.  
  
Of course, it had taken days to even get one of the group out of the bedroom chambers in the center of the palace.  
  
Gilgamesh’s mother had wrapped her arms around him immediately, earning a gentle push and a demand for coffee.  
  
The goddess was now waiting nearby, eagerly setting beside the strange masked god they had run into during the ceremony.  
  
“Well?”  
  
“He’s right,” Proto replied, motioning at Edmond.  
  
Great, more of the same. Gudako rolled her eyes, listening to the Cu Chulainn collective agreeing from further down the table. Their seats had been strategically thought out, being opposite and within good running distance to the doors to leave. Their eyes shifted over the goddess herself, knowing her relationship to the golden king and knowing that they didn’t want to know what she was capable of.  
  
There had been a handful of days wandering with them, listening to them complain and whine. Then there had been more. They didn’t like the heat. They didn’t care for this blinding sunlight. They wanted to wander into the forests and fight boars or wander back to Chaldea and do some training. Endless complaints.  
  
Hakuno owed her for this.  
  
Of course, knowing how Gilgamesh had been talking before the ceremony, Hakuno was probably bound up and taking it up the ass at this point.  
  
Poor idiot.  
  
“Do you know when they’re leaving the bedroom?” Ninsun asked for the umpteenth time.  
  
“Coffee first,” Proto replied.  
  
Edmond refilled the boy’s cup, patting him on the back.  
  
Great. Two toiling servants and a gaggle of Irishmen.  
  
Gudako checked her phone, scrolling through the stream of messages from Mash and the others. “We shouldn’t spend too much longer here in Uruk. We have singularities and humanity to save. Someone should probably let Hakuno and Gilgamesh know that we’re leaving as well.”  
  
Hint: It should be Proto. Prototype should let his other selves and his wife know that they were going back to Chaldea.  
  
Ninsun stood up as the doors near the head table opened. Enkidu’s head stuck in, a smile on their face as they caught sight of everyone.  
  
“Wonderful news, I’ve stopped the hoarding!”  
  
Bless the clay.  
  
Gudako and Ninsun were both on their feet, the masked god snickering from where they were slipping bits of food through their mask.  
  
“And how did you manage that,” the god’s croaky voice asked.  
  
Enkidu held up Hakuno’s wrapped body, the woman laying uselessly against her now being-in-law as two passed out Gilgamesh were dragged behind them.  
  
“Oh no.” Ninsun hurried towards them. “I didn’t mean for you to do that.”  
  
“Shamhat and I were getting worried as well. I figured it was easier to simply knock the two out and free Hakuno myself rather than wait for them to decide to leave peacefully. I didn’t kill them.”  
  
Killing was debatable on Caster’s behalf, Gudako thought, settling back next to Edmond and listening to the collective of Cu Chulainns laughing.  
  
Prototype was climbing to his feet, looking over at Arthur. “Help me get my wife, king of knights.”  
  
They all must have been confused by that. No one moved, instead just staring at Prototype before the boy huffed. His eyes went to Edmond.  
  
“Help me with my woman, Count. She needs to be away from the sex minded animals that are my older selves.”  
  
“I understand that feeling,” Edmond replied, moving to stand and heading over to assist. The two pulled Hakuno from Enkidu’s arms and settled her between them in their seats. Ninsun was following in their wake, her hands pressing to Hakuno’s waist.  
  
“Mother, no.”  
  
Ninsun blinked, looking up at the boy.  
  
“It’s always like this. Show a little interest and then I’m head first into a situation I have to think through on everyone’s behalf. No guides. No advisors. And then you have some idiots who think they know better than you how to treat your woman.” Proto scowled, holding Hakuno a little closer as Edmond pulled his hat off and set it on the boy.  
  
“My Mercedes was also in a situation like that. We can work together on this.”  
  
Gods, they didn’t need that.  
  
Gudako could already feel the headache coming as Ninsun bopped her son on the head.  
  
“I was feeling for grandchildren! You marry a woman and hide out in your room for a week with her and I don’t hear a single thing about the rewards of all those efforts. Am I to simply assume you’ve been napping all this time?”  
  
Enkidu snickered, moving to sit at the table and eyeing their masked friend.  
  
It seemed like the masked god and Enkidu had some relationship. The masked god pat their head lightly. “Hopefully the two weren’t too upset.”  
  
“Archer was the only one conscious when I went in. Hakuno was about ready to pass out and Archer was finishing. All I did was wait.”  
  
The god nodded, looking around again at the room.  
  
“If Hakuno and the Gils are still passed out, then there’s not much we can do still.” Gudako sighed. “We are going to head back, Enkidu. If you want to let them know to call when they’re ready to come back to Chaldea.”  
  
“You’re leaving?”  
  
What else was there to do? She wanted to ask the being what to do, but that would be silly. Looking around and taking in the look on Hakuno’s sleeping face, she knew there was nothing to ask. Hakuno was home. She was happy and she had a whole setup here.  
  
And that was wonderful. For being someone they had found beaten and tattered in a singularity, there wasn’t a single outcome that would come close to what she had here. This was an opportunity, a chance to change and be whatever she wanted. This place and this world was so young, so ripe for life and what the woman seemed to have with the asshole of a golden king she had fallen for.  
  
Poor idiot, she loved him so much.  
  
Even Arthur and Cu agreed that Gilgamesh was not worth half of what the woman had put forth in effort for him.  
  
Enkidu nodded to her. “We’ll be fine. Our apologies for making you all come just to watch this situation unfurl.”  
  
“It was fun. I enjoyed the celebrations and partying.”  
  
Her head was still hurting from all the music and celebrating that they had done. She was pretty sure she wasn’t going to be able to look at Arthur and Cu Berserker for a while when they got back to Chaldea.  
  
“You should take them all with you,” the masked god told her.  
  
“Hmm?”  
  
“Hakuno and the Gils and my son.” The god motioned at Enkidu as they said son. How the hell did someone give birth to-  
  
Nevermind. She wasn’t asking.  
  
“Take them with you when you return. They need some time away from this place. Hakuno is safest with you in your strange land of ice and steel. They all seem to enjoy helping you save the world, little master of Chaldea.”  
  
Something glinted from those eyeholes in the mask.  
  
She was getting really creeped out by the god.  
  
“We will come back in a while,” Enkidu promised, patting the god back.  
  
“Of course you will, Caster and Hakuno will feel obligated. I am holding your king and Archer to his word on having you and Hakuno visit me. I expect to see the youths when they come in a few months.”  
  
They were lucky that Ninsun seemed preoccupied getting her drink to hear that. Gudako could sense what that meant.  
  
It made sense why the god was asking her to take the group now.  
  
Oh, but that was going to be chaos. Pure, unending chaos. Raikou, Atalanta, and Tamamo were going to be amongst the first to latch themselves to Hakuno as soon as word spread.  
  
The clay being nodded simply, moving over to Proto and quietly picking up the poor woman.  
  
“We’re leaving? Finally?” Cu Chulainn lancer stood up, wiping off his face before looking at them all.  
  
“Yeah, we’re leaving.” Gudako motioned at the kings. “If you both will pick up Gilgamesh Caster and Archer, we should probably go.”  
  
The masked god moved quietly, distracting the goddess Gil lookalike from following them. For that, she was ever grateful. They meandered to the front of the ziggurat, calling Da Vinci.  
  
Gudako held the phone to her ear and nodded, laughing and joking at Mash for a moment before the world went to steel and filtered air. Her eyes drifted over to the slumbering kings and queen as the other servants came in to welcome them back.  
  
“Do not tell them for a while,” Enkidu murmured as they held Hakuno and moved quietly towards the door. “Enki allowed you to hear so that you could help prep a doctor, but if others know, they will tell Ishtar and Ereshkigal. Enki wants his grandchildren well on their way before the gods find out that they will need to accept two more little divine beings amongst their names. Not even Hakuno and Gilgamesh should know.”  
  
“What if I say something?”  
  
Enkidu just smiled, a thousand bad thoughts running through her mind as they hoisted Archer into their arms and headed for the door. Berserker Cu Chulainn followed in their wake, inquiring about a fight as he carried Caster.  
  
“…Fuck, we forgot Child Gil!” Gudako paled, turning around only to see the young boy grinning.  
  
“So you have to keep a secret about me and my Hakuno, do you?”  
  
“Oh, thank god. Yes. Don’t say anything.” She pat the boy’s head, pausing when she saw him smirk.  
  
“You know, I didn’t get to spend much time with my Hakuno. It would be much easier to keep a secret with her close to me.”  
  
“Edmond!” Gudako turned, finding the man wandering off with Proto Gil and Proto Cu. The latter two were nodding at something the man was saying.  
  
“Gudako…”  
  
Gods help her. Gilgamesh was a monster.  
  
She was never giving anyone saint quartz again.


End file.
